Embrace the Exceptions
by AJ Maxima
Summary: For the first time in history, females could try out for SOLDIER. That's all she wanted, save for her sister's full recovery. All Zack wanted was something that made sense, but meeting Lightning was bittersweet, and corruption within Shinra begins to generate questions of loyalty and honor. "No matter what they say," he assured her. "You're the only exception, Light." (REVISED!)
1. Sexism

**I'M REVISING THIS FIC BECAUSE WHEN I NOTICED MY WRITING HAD CHANGED SLIGHTLY, (LIKE THE FACT THAT I WORRY ABOUT MAKING SURE WHETHER OR NOT LITTLE DETAILS OF ACTION AND SETTINGS ARE GOING ON) I SAID TO MYSELF, "WELL… SHIT, IT DOESN'T ENTIRELY MATCH MY OLD WORK NOW DOES IT?" SO YEAH… AND SO FAR, THIS IS THE FIRST CHAPTER I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. MIGHT TAKE ME A WHILE TO DO THE REST OF THE CHAPTERS, BUT I'LL PERSEVERE! KEEP THAT IN MIND IF THE CHAPTERS DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY REALLY MESH BUT I'LL BE MAKING SURE TO MARK WHICH ONES HAVE BEEN WITH A BIG OLE** **REVISED** **SIGN SLAPPED AT THE TOP! *THUMBS UP* GOOD TALK! ;)**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I own none of these characters. There. I said it. :( But I do own my imagination. That's gotta count for something, no…?

...

 **Chapter 1: Sexism**

 _It's best to not confuse growing up with how little clothing you can get away with wearing… No one takes you seriously._

"You're being selfish."

Snow had spoken this from where he stood in the brown doorway of Lightning's dimly lit room. The blond was wearing his beige trench coat to cover up his dark pants and striped gray shirt, and he watched his girlfriend's sister with a newfound rage in his blue eyes as she carefully sorted her clothes on her bed. Her large brown luggage case was open, filled with toiletries and some selected garments as she held up a brown jacket and contemplated taking it with her.

 _This was mom's jacket…_ Lightning thought. Her attire was casual—a white t-shirt and some gray sweatpants—while her bare feet kissed the wooden floorboards whenever she pattered from her small open closet on the farthest side of the room, and back over to her gathered belongings.

The way she went about ignoring Snow only caused his resentment to escalate.

"Are you even listening to me?" he asked.

 _Still there, huh?_ she asked herself. Gentle hands folded the jacket, placing it into the luggage case before they brushed long strands of strawberry blond hair so that it all rested on her left shoulder.

Snow pushed himself off the wall, inclining his head. "Hey…" He felt out of character for allowing Lightning to get him so riled up, and he usually knew that whatever temperament she hurled his way—from her confidence shattering scowls to her throbbing falcon punches—could easily be brushed off with a simple grin and a wince… but today…

This morning…

Snow just couldn't condense his irritation. His nostrils were flaring and his gloved black hands clenched into fists. "…How can you just leave like this?" He barely registered that he was practically hissing at her, and once he had, his brows rose and his eyes rounded. He even whistled, rubbing the back of his neck before he blew out a calming huff of air. "Can we at least talk about this?"

Again, she refused to acknowledge his towering presence, even as he stepped closer to her, and she paced over to her closet. She merely sidestepped him and continued her task of packing.

Snow looked more baffled than annoyed in that instant, and he pressed his lips in a tight line. "There must be a reason why…" His eyes drifted over to her desk, where a crumbled piece of thick, white paper rested. With a sudden curiousness, he paced over to it, lifting it with an inquisitive flicker in his eyes.

Three men were on the front… in all their idolized glory. _I've seen this before…_ There was a hierarchy in the way they were positioned, though. To the left, a man with reddish-brown hair and devilish light eyes was simpering towards the viewer. He wore a red trench coat, and his arms were crossed in a bit of defiance. To the left, a calmer looking muscular man with dark hair and blue eyes was wearing a simple black Shinra uniform. He looked be a gentle soul, and his eyes gave off the impression of a friendliness that was rare to find. However, the person who had gathered Snow's attention the most was the man in the center of the flyer.

He had long, magnificent silver hair and quiet, although highly commanding, green eyes. He stood in a simple pose with his hands at his sides and turned ever so slightly, but the level of authority radiating from him—the very formidable aura he was projecting from that simple gaze—it was almost haunting somehow.

Even the seven-foot sword the man carried in his grip seemed to suit him.

 _Shinra propaganda_ , Snow thought as he read over the brief description. _They're..._ He lowered the paper in his hand, eyeing Lightning. _Females can train as_ cadets _now instead of just medics?_

He blinked, giving himself a moment to take it all in. "…What about Serah?" he asked.

Blue eyes narrowed at their tormentor, and the fingers holding onto the white shirt paused on their way to placing it onto the dark bed sheets. "What about her?" Lightning finally asked. She tucked the shirt into the luggage case and turned to face him, placing her knuckle on her hip. Her voice was husky and laced with independence, and the bold determination in her eyes was enough to make anyone reconsider approaching her. Even the way she stood qualified her as a leader instead of a follower.

 _As much as I hate to say this_ , Snow thought. _She'd probably make one heck of a SOLDIER._

But Snow was getting frustrated with the situation. Lightning had worked so hard to save Serah from her health condition, and now she was leaving. "After all that you went through to save Serah—all those treatments to help keep her alive—you're… you're just going to throw it all away?!"

"I've spent most of my life looking after Serah!" Lightning placed her knuckle against her heart as she lowered her voice, tapping it there a few times for emphasis. "Serah's cured now, so what's wrong with doing something for myself?" Upon hearing this, Snow averted his gaze to the right, mumbling something about 'family sticking together'.

"Besides," Lightning spoke up. "She has you now. If you spent more time with her instead of at that bar, you'd understand that Serah's actually _happy_ for me."

Blue eyes darted towards hazel-blue ones. "Wait, she… you two already discussed this?"

Lightning gave him a curt nod, ignoring his slacked jaw. "I told her weeks ago. It was just between us, not _you_."

 _Have mercy on her future husband_ , Snow thought, frowning. She was never really pleasant to be around. _If she can get one…_ "Serah never told me…"

Lightning rolled her eyes, turning so that she could zip her luggage case. "Maybe you didn't hear me before—"

"Loud and clear…" Snow waved his right hand in dismissive movements and eventually crossed his arms. "Light?"

"Don't call me that," she advised. He was trying to make peace, and she wasn't having it.

"Lightning?" he said. "What if… what if Serah gets sick again?"

Lightning paused, her finger still holding the metal zipper—despite having zipped it. "…We've already discussed that, too," she whispered. There was a twinge of dread in her voice.

"And…?" Snow pressed.

"She… she told me not to help," Lightning answered, meeting his gaze. "She said she didn't want to be a burden, but…"

Snow offered her a small smile. "You'll come back, though. Won't you…?"

She gave him a similar smirk, scoffing with a firm nod. "In a flash," she said softly.

Snow's smile widened. "Like lightning?"

Although her eyes had rolled, she was still smiling. "Get out of my room, Snow." _I don't know what Serah sees in him… so cheesy…_

He certainly wasn't her first choice for her sister… but he wasn't the last, either.

Snow chuckled and turned to leave, but on his way out, he stopped and propped his forearm on the doorframe. His expression became serious as he stood there, gazing up at the ceiling. "I hope you make SOLDIER. If any female deserves a slot among the Shinra ranks, it's you."

Lightning was taken aback by Snow's confession, but she was relieved that Snow had paced away so she didn't have to struggle concealing the slight blush that stained her cheeks—or tell him 'thank you'...

* * *

The next morning, Serah and Snow were running with Lightning through the crowd of civilians to catch her train at the station. Several females had already bordered and Lightning was appreciative that Serah had secretly purchased her ticket months in advance—when the Shinra flyers had been delivered to every country around Gaia six months ago. Places that received the same memo as the republic of Cocoon included cities and towns within the countries of Spira, Ivalice, and several other beautiful nations.

It would take a while to travel to Shinra headquarters because of the eager girls and women who were willing to volunteer to serve under Shinra ranks…

Everyone was pushing and shoving to get on the train before it left, all wishing their loved ones well.

 _I'm surprised Lebreau isn't around_ , Lightning thought as they rushed.

"Hurry, Light!" Serah shouted, gripping Lightning's right hand. They were both wearing appealing clothing—Serah's choice, not Lightning's. The youngest Farron sister was wearing a yellow sundress with sandals while Lightning wore a fitted blue long-sleeve shirt with black leggings, and her favorite combat boots—despite Serah's innumerable attempts to persuade her to wear _heels_ of all things…

It wasn't that Lightning was against them; she'd worn them before… but heading off to a company looking like a fresh daffodil in need of assistance with carrying her groceries to the car, when she was trying to give off an acceptable first impression, seemed a bit… counterproductive.

Snow ran behind the pair, dressed in all black while carrying Lightning's luggage—even after she assured him that she could carry it herself. "There's the platform," he said, pointing as he took irregular breaths. "Do you—" He gulped to catch his breath. "Have your ticket?"

"Got it," Lightning answered, pushing past a stranger to her left. She side-eyed a man in a black suit with dark hair when they bumped shoulders in passing, but she didn't give the encounter much thought after that. He did appear to be out of place, though.

"It's almost nine!" Serah shouted with a smile as they came to a halt. She caught her breath, touching her heart while she hunched over. "Whew, t-that was a… a r-real workout… wasn't it?" Lightning shared a worrisome look with Snow, who chose to remain quiet.

After observing the frail way Serah breathed, careful hands touched her younger sister's shoulder. "Serah, you okay?"

"Just a little tired is all," Serah admitted. "That was a long run." In truth, it was a rather short sprint, but for Serah, it felt like a marathon. She wasn't too keen on telling her sister that, not on Lightning's big sendoff. Instead, she feigned a smile. "Come here, sis." She righted herself, and pulled her older sibling into a warm embrace. "I'll miss you."

Lightning returned the genuine gesture, secretly threatening to murder any tear that might fall from her watering eyes. "I'll miss you too, Serah."

The attendant in a red uniform blew his whistle. "One minute until take off!" he bellowed to the crowd. People began hurrying onto the train.

"I have to go now," Lightning said. She sighed as she reluctantly released the one person who loved her the most. A wave of anxiety hit her as she gazed at Snow and he handed over her luggage. "Take care of her."

"You know I will," he agreed.

 _If anything happens to her again_ … Lightning thought with a grimace.

A loud whistle blew.

"Goodbye," she told her sister. Lightning gave Serah one last hug before she hurried towards the train steps, getting her ticket punched by the attendant. The moment the man took her case for her, and she climbed up the stairs, the train began to move.

She would've fallen backwards, had she not gripped the metal railing.

Serah's lips quivered as she watched her take off and she clasped her hands in front of her stomach. Her eyes began to sting and she contemplated what she'd do without having Lightning around.

Nothing would be the same…

 _She's really leaving…_

Snow peered down at Serah, noticing her sullen expression. "…It's not too late to give her one last goodbye, ya know?" He'd spoken it softly. _Who knows when we'll see her again…?_

 _Light…_ Serah's feet began to move before she could process it. "Sis!" she called. She ran ahead on the grey platform, mustering all the strength she could to keep up with the slow moving locomotive before it could properly kick into gear.

"Serah!" Lightning yelled frantically. "Don't hurt yourself!" Gaia forbid…

The younger simply replied by reaching for Lightning's hand. "I—you be safe, sis!"

"Serah!" Snow yelled. He hadn't expected her to actually try and race the train—only give her sister a quick shout-out of farewell. He was running after her as the train began to increase speed.

Lightning was quick to catch Serah's palm in hers, wanting nothing more than to pull her up and take her along, but she knew Serah belonged in Cocoon, where she could get proper treatments if her condition bounced out of it's remission state. "Serah, be careful—!"

"Call me when you get there!" Serah pleaded over the sounds of the steel wheels.

Lightning squeezed her palm. "I will!"

" _Promise_!" Serah begged. She was sweating profusely now, and Lightning felt the clamminess on their joined hands.

"I _promise_ , Serah!" She hadn't meant to let go, but when the train jolted she had no choice… "Serah…" There was nothing in her line of vision now except the last bit of the platform, random faces, and the view of nearby homes in the background.

On the platform, yards and yards behind, Serah slowed her pace until she came to a complete stop and sank to her knees. Onlookers casually paced around her, knowing that everyone leaving was a difficult—and exciting—time for all individuals at the station. One woman in passing, in a black suit that was the same as the man Lightning had bumped into earlier, placed a handkerchief in her hands before she quietly went on her way.

Serah was too fatigued to notice, but Snow had as he ran up to Serah. He tried to see where the brunette had paced off to, but she had disappeared…

"Light," Serah whispered as Snow knelt beside her. She touched her chest and placed her free hand over his when he wrapped his arms around her small frame. As their fingers entwined, she said, "I forgot to tell her that I hope she makes SOLDIER."

"She knows," Snow said, his eyes never leaving the train's caboose. "It doesn't have to be said. Just letting her go was your own way of saying so."

On the train, the attendant approached Lightning on the steps, tapping her shoulder. "Miss, it's best to find a seat now. It'll be a long ride."

With a bit of reluctance, Lightning followed after the man into a nearby cart. Several women and teenage girls had already filled the majority of the seats—already befriending each other and socializing…

It was daunting to witness from the outside peering in, and it gave her the impression of clicks materializing. The catty stares she was receiving as she looked for an available seat was more than grating—despite the neutral stare she wore.

"You can sit here," a woman said nearby. She was dressed in an all black dress, and the front of it was made entirely of buckles. There was no shame on her face at the level of expose she gave her _assets_ —that were lined with fur. Her black hair complimented her pale skin and a beauty mark rested on the left side of her chin. A touch of blue eye shadow and purple lipstick complimented her gothic appearance and Lightning couldn't help but notice that she was strikingly beautiful. Lightning could also easily tell the woman suffered from what Serah had deemed as RBF—resting bitch face.

It was Lightning's relaxed expression as well, so she knew it best.

Lightning seated herself, giving the woman a nod. "Thanks." _I wonder where the attendant put my luggage._ The baggage areas above them were stocked to the max.

"You're welcome," was the quiet reply. "You're from Cocoon?"

"Yes," she answered. "You're not?"

She looked as if she wanted to smile, but decided against it in a defensive movement. "I'm from Spira—the island of Besaid," she stated.

"You must've taken several boats and trains to get here," Lightning found herself saying. Spira was on the farthest side of Gaia.

"Eight so far." She crossed her arms, but it appeared as if perhaps she could've been hugging herself out of comfort. Lightning felt as if the woman was difficult to read. "This isn't a one-way stop, you know?"

Lightning made a small hum of acknowledgement. "Three more rides."

The woman agreed with the same sound in response. "Three more rides…" Her brown eyes gazed out the window somberly. "I'm Lulu."

"Lightning," she replied. At least she managed to make an acquaintance...

* * *

"She's _perfect_ , Angeal," Zack said, following behind his mentor. They turned onto another grey hallway within the Shinra facility and Zack was practically bouncing around with happiness.

"Is she?" Angeal asked, humoring him. The older—and wiser—of the duo was smirking, knowing Zack was smitten with this 'Aerith' girl. His puppy couldn't stop fidgeting if even if he tried…

Zack nodded quickly. "Yeah! And she's got a smile like… Gods, she's just so…" He shook his head and gripped at his hair. "Angeal, I can't stop thinking about her!" _She's just always on my mind!_

"I know," Angeal agreed. "You've been talking about her non-stop for at least twenty minutes now." He stopped in the hall when they approached the large black door that led to the observation deck, which revealed the area of the train station outside and down below. It was where the new recruits would be arriving.

The older turned to Zack once he noticed his pupil had quieted. "Zack…?" He almost chuckled at what he saw.

Zack Fair was frowning.

 _Ever the puppy_ , he thought, patting the teen's right shoulder. "Don't stress over it so much," he said. A playful look gleamed in his blue eyes. "However…"

Zack tilted his head. "What-what?!" He began to squirm like a child being told a bedtime story. "What's wrong, Angeal?!"

"If you get this worked up over a girl, I can't imagine what it's going to be like if you take a liking to a female _cadet_."

Zack's eyes widened. "Wha—? Hey, wait up!" he called as the man entered the door. The teen rubbed his face as he followed after him, hating the idea of loving someone else. "No girl at Shinra can ever replace Aerith," he mumbled. _She's one of a kind…_

As soon as Zack entered the door, he trailed behind Angeal towards the large window to get a view of the train station. Hundreds of people and male cadets had crowded outside to get a glimpse of the new recruits. The SOLDIER, however, were inside Shinra, standing around the enormous glass windows to gaze down at the platform area.

Normally, Zack would be happy to meet new recruits, but somehow, this day felt off. He could feel the testosterone radiating off his fellow SOLDIER, and the cadets outside, as the black train came to a halt, and he wasn't sure what to make of the sensation. He looked up at his mentor. "Uh… Angeal?"

"I know," he answered automatically, sensing his uneasiness. "Don't worry."

"But this is a bad idea," Zack said. He wasn't sure why he'd whispered it, but he was thankful that he had once he heard a familiar voice say, "Of course it is." The voice belonged to Genesis, who was standing on Angeal's right side. General Sephiroth was standing further off beside the president, and Tseng had just entered after being away on duty with Cissnei. They'd taken a helicopter ride back after finishing their mission.

Reno, Zack's red haired, Turk friend, approached him with Rude in tow. He gave the pup a slack salute using two fingers. "Showtime," he said, standing on the teens left. "You know, I'm all for equal rights and what not—I mean, we Turks offer girls a chance to try out all the time—we've got Cissnei, Elena, and some others… but this seems like it might be a problem for guys who aren't used to working with chicks so much."

"We've got teenage girls _and_ grown women to worry about now," another SOLDIER added. "But I'm more worried about integrating the teens."

Someone else grunted. "I remember my teenage years. Hormones were skyrocketing and I didn't know what to do with myself." Most of the men agreed with small sentences of approval, and Reno smirked when he heard, "My hand knew what to do with myself," added in the mix.

"Felt like those days would never end," Angeal added, rolling his eyes.

"And every little problem seemed so huge," someone else added.

"Tell me about it," Zack agreed with a sigh, earning a humored flicker of surprise from everyone in the room. He crossed his arms, and the tense action didn't go unnoticed. "I feel like I should expect the worst here…"

Genesis laxly crossed his arms. "Better to expect the worst and receive the opposite than to expect the best and receive contrasting results…"

As soon as the girls—young and old—began piling off the train, Genesis frowned. Some of them were dressed inappropriately—as if they were well off harlots, to be exact. _This is what they decided to wear…? Have they no respect for themselves?_

 _Someone's bound to get raped_ , Reno thought, grimacing at the thought. He huffed and propped his hands behind his head. "It begins…"

Zack felt remorse for each of them as they began to get catcalled by cadets outside. _My mom would smack me good if she saw me acting like that…_ She was a country woman with a good heart that taught him the teachings of egalitarianism. "This is wrong," he murmured.

Genesis shrugged, not caring in the least about the possibilities of what _could_ ensue. "It's to be expected, considering some of their attire..."

"That doesn't make it right," Zack stated as the girls women were being led through the boisterous crowd.

Down below, it was one of the most disturbing experiences that Lightning had ever encountered—and she compared the scene to the medieval age in which shamed women would walk through a crowd of patronizing men who degraded them and branded them 'whores'. She certainly felt like one, and all she'd done was grab her luggage and get off the train…

Was it too late to get back on…?

Too much shoving—too many sexualized taunts—everything was chaotic and thrown at her. Someone had stroked her hair in passing; she was sure of it. By she wasn't understanding of _why_ this pandemonium was proceeding… Some of the men she was seeing were older than her seventeen years of age…

Her eyes flickered over at man in passing…

A whistle.

She ducked her head, bumping into another girl's back amidst the chaos. "Sorry," she murmured quickly. But the girl was ignoring her in favor of giving the cadets flirtatious waves—and even going so far as agreeing to meet with one later…

 _This doesn't seem right_ , Lightning thought.

She paused when a firm hand groped her, as if time had stopped completely... It took her a moment to assess the situation that had just materialized. "W-what…?"

"Did you see that?!" Zack shouted from the observation deck. He looked up at his mentor, alarmed and ready to be heroic. A damsel in distress is what he lived for. "Angeal, we have to do something—why the hell are you laughing at a time like this?!" Zack was genuinely worried.

Reno chuckled and patted his shoulder, pointing at the scene. "I think she can handle herself man."

"Sonuva _bitch_!" a cadet shouted down below. The cadet clutched his bleeding nose while Lightning straightened herself up and grabbed her luggage case off the ground.

 _I hope I broke it you asshole_ , she thought. Onlookers cheered while she scowled at the man who thought he could 'sneak a feel'. He was lucky that was all she chose to break.

"Don't ever touch me again," she warned in a threatening voice. If she was shocked by what just occurred, she certainly didn't show it, but she opted to keep her head held high as she pressed on. If these men didn't respect her, she'd at least respect herself and defend her own honor. It felt like her against a sea of sharks…

One defeated, many more to go.

No one reprimanded the cadet who touched her, except the cadet's friends, who were quick to remind him that a _woman_ had possibly broken his nose.

Lightning wasn't a woman, though; she was only seventeen, and she felt that the tactless groping she'd just endured was considered child molestation…

Wasn't it…?

 _But people in Shinra are young too_ , she thought. _Teenagers always try out…_

"Nice right hook," an exotic looking woman in a blue robe told her. Her accent sounded foreign, and her skin was a rich shade of copper.

 _Must be from Pulse_ , Lightning thought as they walked through the crowd. "Thanks."

"I'm Fang."

"Lightning."

Fang chuckled, brushing her long, dark hair behind her ears as her green eyes gave Lightning a once over. "Why am I not surprised?" When Lightning gave her the slightest of glowers, Fang waved her hand indifferently. "Hey, no worries. I like it—although I think I prefer to call you _Sunshine_."

Above them, Angeal was grinning. "I think that girl can defend herself just fine, Zack."

Genesis regarded the scene with a contemplative nod of approval. "Impressive," was all he said before turning to leave. Sephiroth didn't voice this opinion, but he had a gleam of mirth dancing in his eyes at the sight of Lightning's display, already aware of who she was, like Tseng and the president.

 _Another Farron_ , he mused.

Angeal was thinking the same sentiments as he paced over to his silver-haired friend.

Zack's enthusiasm kept increasing the more he thought of the peculiar girl with strawberry-blond hair, but he didn't speak further on the subject. Everyone else was already doing that in the observation deck. He feared it might cause the girl to get picked on by the upper ranks in the future—especially since she hadn't been reprimanded for hitting a soon to be fellow comrade—even given the circumstances of shameless fondling.

"Come on, pup!" Angeal called over his shoulder. Sephiroth actually displayed the smallest of smirks on his lips upon hearing the nickname.

Genesis, who was now waiting at the frame of the open door, couldn't hide his amusement. "Does he play fetch?"

Angeal's expression mirrored both of his best friend's. "That was our first lesson."

The tease in his voice made Zack groan and he trudged over to his three superiors with the tetchiest of pouts. As he peered up at his mentor, he lifted his index finger, pushing it towards the older for emphasis. "One time. I got that stupid bomb _one_ time and suddenly I'm everyone's golden retriever."

"It could've been worse," Sephiroth decided as the four of them left. When Zack lifted his brow, he simply said, "You retrieved a bomb that was supposed to detonate, and thankfully, it was a dud…"

Zack blushed at the thought of his almost mishap… _Man I really screwed that mission up._ He thought the bomb was a small PHS device… It resembled one on that mission and several exploded. Luckily, the one he found didn't go off. "Yeah, I guess so…"

"And you could've been labeled a 'mutt' instead of a 'retriever,'" the general added.

Zack felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a grin upon hearing the rare bit of humor Sephiroth had casually thrown at him. It wasn't often that he showed Zack this side of him, but it had become frequent that Zack had suddenly found himself mingling with him, not just when he was with Angeal or Genesis, but also alone.

He considered the man his friend, like he did Angeal, but he wasn't entirely sure what to make of Genesis. It appeared as if tolerated those around him instead of actually liking their company…

 _He seems like he's up to something, too._

After noticing that Zack had quieted, Angeal ruffled his hair. "Still thinking about her?" He'd meant Aerith, although when Zack replied and said, "Yeah," the pup had meant Lightning.

 _I wonder what her name is…_

He'd be restless until he found out.

…

 **IMPORTANT A/N** **:** The level of ranking classes in this story (for Shinra) are the same as they are in Crisis Core, but there are now also different areas of specialty units that can be used (gunblade, staff and rod, fists, etc.). There will be other Final Fantasy characters (and places) in this as well. All places in the following FF games (8, 9, 10, 12 and 13) are now on the Gaia world map now because… well, because I… said so? That includes military areas. Those areas already have females in the ranks. Only Shinra has just now gotten around to adding females in this fic. This'll be explained fully in later chapters ( _way_ later).

Also, I've never posted a story on fanfiction before, but I've been reading it for years! I thought I'd make an account and upload my own stories as a change of pace from my usual lingering around this site. Please, if you have a moment, take the time to either leave me feedback or click a button, or hey you can even PM me if your heart so desires. I'm up for anything.


	2. Pride

**REVISED! :)**

 **Chapter 2: Pride**

 _It sometimes hinders one from asking for help._

No one could trounce Sephiroth, not even when performing on a simple combat level in the training facility. Zack, having tried, was now sitting on the steel floor, wearing a pout to match his defeated ego. As the walls of the facility regained their grayish coloring—after previously emitting transparent scenery of the Midgar train station and the green-eyed commander clutching his masamune—Zack slumped his shoulders and rested his left forearm on his propped knee. While his free palm rested on his right thigh, a globule of sweat trickled down into his left eye, making it sting. He'd been panting for breath, and he looked more than a little fatigued, but despite this, he managed to muster a smile when he heard the clinking of his mentors combat boots approaching him from the behind.

Angeal couldn't help but ruffle the younger's hair as he paced around the teen and handed Zack his broken sword by the black hilt. It'd been split a few inches above that—clear off by a swipe of the replicated general during their training session. His grin matched the raven-haired teen. "You've gotten better."

The way Zack's face lit up; it was as if he'd been offered a large sum of gil. " _Really_?!"

A chuckled emitted from the man's throat as his smile widened. "You even remembered to keep your left side protected this time; I'm impressed." Before Zack could thank his superior, Angeal lifted his index finger. "There's something else I want to talk to you about, Zack."

Zack tilted his head and a slight crease formed between his brows. "Something wrong?" he asked as he rose. He made a 'tsk' sound when he glanced at the damage done to his broken weapon. It wouldn't cost much to replace it, but it was always strange to acquire a new accessory and break it in. He'd gotten used to the feel of the hilt. _Maybe I can just get the iron replaced and keep the hilt_ , he thought. A poke to his forehead caused him to blink. "Huh?"

"You're spacing out."

"Whoops." Zack chuckled, looking a little guilty by way he ducked his head and peered from under his lashes. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "Sorry, Angeal… you were saying?"

His mentor shook his head and crossed his arms, although he was giving the teen a mindful stare. "I'm proud of you for wanting to defend that girl earlier," Angeal stated. "You really impressed everyone in that observation room—including Sephiroth."

The teen quirked a brow upon hearing this. "Really?"

As Angeal bowed his head, he explained, "He expressed this to all of us in the lounge earlier today—and he rarely does that. Usually it's only to Genesis and I…" His smile was a warm, filled with gratified sentiments. "I think he wanted everyone to know how strongly he appreciated that you showed concern."

 _Seriously?!_ Zack gave him a sheepish look as he peered up at him, and he was quick to shake the praise off with a bashful head gesture. "D'aw it was nothing really—just the right thing to do is all." He waved his right hand, dismissing the topic. "Heroes save people all the time, don't they?" He pointed at his chest with his thumb, giving Angeal a cocky grin. "And I want to be a hero someday, so that's kind of my job, but..."

Zack's smile diminished into a frown, and he folded his arms while his focus became fixated towards a spot on the floor. "But she…" He slowly met his superior's gaze with curious eyes. "She really didn't need saving."

Angeal scrutinized his pupil with a wearisome expression. There was a new sense of awareness in Zack's eyes—one that seemed to be troubling the spirited teen.

"Not in _that_ moment," Angeal spoke up. "But you can never be sure." He touched Zack's left shoulder. "Sometimes the people who need the most saving are the people who think they don't." He gave his pupil's shoulder a light squeeze before he began exiting the training facility on the farthest side of the room.

 _Does Angeal mean me, or that girl?_ Zack mused as he peered at the man's retreating back. "…Angeal?"

Angeal paused, his back facing him.

"If the roles were reversed—?" _Would anyone care…?_ Zack bit his bottom lip as he pondered, scratching the back of his head. "Never mind." He huffed out some of his frustration, propping one of his knuckles on his hip. "I just don't get it."

"But you're trying to," Angeal commented, turning his head over his right shoulder. "And that's a start—more than I can say for others in your position." He quieted, seeming to be debating something over before adding, "If you ever want to talk, I'm here, Zack."

 _You're always there for me when I need you, Angeal._ "Thanks," Zack said, giving him a genuine smile. "That really means a lot to me."

Angeal waved over his shoulder as he left. "Why don't you go greet that girl? You seemed so keen on doing so this morning."

A strangled groan flooded around the facility as Zack clutched both sides of his head. "I've been searching for her all day!" he practically whined. He'd only stopped that evening when Angeal had decided to distract him by training. As he gazed at his mentor's retreating back, he sighed. "Geez, it's almost as if she doesn't want to be found." _But... it's the end of the day_. And at the end of the day, majority of the units were scattered across the lounge areas.

 _I could check there…_

A new mission of hope formed in Zack's mind, and as he sprinted towards the exit, he skidded to a halt and glanced down at his broken sword. After nodding, he clicked his teeth against his tongue. "Find girl first; fix sword later." Logically speaking, he couldn't rest until he at least knew the girl's name. With that in mind, he rushed out of the training room with the strawberry blond girl as his only focus.

Angeal, who'd seen him race by in the hall, smiled. _And you said you wouldn't take interest in a cadet…_ He knew Zack better than the teen knew himself, and he was perfectly aware of how this situation would play out… and the possible repercussions that would ensue afterwards.

However, whether it was all worth it would be entirely up to Zack and the girl…

"Where's your puppy off too?" Genesis asked, approaching his friend from the opposite end of the corridor. He was hoping they could both take on Sephiroth again. The general was pacing beside him, giving Zack's retreating form an inquisitive stare. His green eyes were dancing with mirth, and he knew information about Lightning that Zack did not, something he'd only told his best friends, Angeal and Genesis. The thought caused a twinge of guilt to strike at his heart, considering Zack was sure to be upset once he found out…

 _But perhaps some closure can come out of this_ , he mused. _On both sides…_

* * *

The lounge area was the only area where men and women were free to access without the use of a keycard—just like the cafeteria. The walls there were a relaxing shade of beige, and the carpeted floor was gray. It was also the only area in Shinra besides the training rooms that wasn't under the strict 'Gender Segregation Policy'.

Zack entered the area with his hands behind his head, and he casually scoped around for 'the girl with the kickass falcon punch' while Kunsel chatted with him. He'd seen her during Sephiroth's welcome speech earlier that day, and he was eager to talk to her, but once the speech was over, she had completely vanished.

"I'm telling you," Kunsel said beside him. "Commander Rhapsodos has been looking really on edge these days. It's like he's got a hidden agenda."

"Uh-huh…" Zack squinted as he stepped further into the room, keeping a sharp eye out for her. Onlookers ogled him, not believing two SOLDIER were hanging about in a mere cadet lounge. It was rare. Some females were hoping he'd come to see his pickings, while some the males had simple man-crushes on both men, and other males were hoping for the same fun as the females (they just weren't keen on alerting the public about their sexuality, as it was none of their business in the first place). Who wouldn't go for the two SOLDIER, though? They were obviously every cadet's dream to be, aside from Angeal, Genesis, and more importantly, Sephiroth.

"I hope the Wutai mission goes well for him when he leaves tomorrow," Kunsel spoke up.

 _Of course she isn't here…_ Zack thought, sighing. A frown was forming on his lips, and it increased when he saw a girl sitting on one of the large, black sofas between two cadets. They weren't bothering her, per say; in fact, they really seemed to be enjoying themselves in lax conversation. _That's_ what bothered Zack. _Why couldn't they all act like this when the girls first arrived?_

"Zack?" He jumped slightly when Kunsel placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" Kunsel asked. "You're spacing out pretty bad today."

Zack gave him a sheepish bow of his head. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something…"

Kunsel seemed to disagree by the tease in his tone. "You mean some _one_? Is it that girl you've been seeing these past few weeks?"

"Uh… well, yeah," Zack lied, combing his hand through his hair. He forced a smile to hide his disappointment at not finding Lightning. "I'm gonna go see her again before curfew..." That part had been the truth. He promised Aerith.

Kunsel turned, eyeing the crowd. They'd both gathered the attention from majority of the room's occupants. "Ah, then I can see why you're so…" He glanced back at his friend, only to whirl around at the empty spot beside him. "Zack?"

The puppy had left the area.

* * *

"Where are you?" Zack asked himself. There were so many faces—so many unknown females eager to talk to him—except _hers_ … _If I didn't want to be found, where would I go?_ Within that same contemplation, his PHS started ringing a familiar victory theme song, and he dug into his pockets. After finding the item, he fished it out and checked his mail with an arched brow. "The heck?"

The message read:

From Anonymous

 _I can't tell you my name but I know something of interest to you. There's a girl on the training grounds outside, and she's in your secret spot. No, this isn't the same anonymous sender from before, so stop thinking about it. I heard this is the girl who punched a cadet in the face. They call her 'the girl with the kickass falcon punch'. You should really go find her before she takes off again. She looks frustrated._

He blinked. "O-okay…?" Zack began shaking his head as he quickly wandered down the corridor towards a Shinra exit. Curiosity got the better of him, and, along the way, he decided to open his other messages. One of them was from his best friend, Cloud Strife. It read:

From Spiky

 _Zack, I completely forgot to tell you about field training yesterday! I'm sorry! It went great, for once. Also, did you hear about 'the girl with the kickass falcon punch' from this morning? All the guys are talking about wanting to fight her. They don't think she'll last a week… but I think she can do it._

"Good ole Cloud," Zack murmured. He actually smiled at the screen, and he replied a quick message back to his friend. He was _dying_ to tell the blond teen his vexations.

Eventually, his feet carried him outside to the hidden training grounds that Angeal would take him to often—a few miles behind the Shinra facility. It was hidden behind a small, manmade forest that Shinra decided to place in a bid to give the company some fresh scenery when cadets would peer out of the windows besides the sullen city of Midgar. Unbeknownst to the president, Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal had made their own little training grounds within the small compound. It was carefully hidden between trees that were marked by them so that they could find their way in and out, and eventually it lead to a small open field surrounded by various colors of preserved carnations and lush green grass.

But amidst the clear pathway, Zack saw no one…

Treasure not acquired.

Secret mission failed.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" As he spread his arms and fell to his knees, groaning, he felt utterly exasperated. It appeared as if he were yelling at the gray sky, until he hunched over and wildly ruffled his hair in irritation. _Nothing could make this evening any worse than it already is…_

He'd spoken too soon, because it began to pour.

The puppy was getting drenched.

Fuck the world.

* * *

 _I'm not lost_ , Lightning thought to herself. _I've just been taking a pointless detour… for three hours._ She'd made it back inside the electric company in search of a PHS to use, since all the females wouldn't be issued one until tomorrow—unbeknownst to Lightning. All they'd been given were two cadet uniforms, a keycard, a pair of combat boots, and dog tags. They were required immediately by the president to change into said uniforms and combat boots after Lightning's groping incident, and right before the assembly.

Some of her peers—mostly the males who were ogling the females—blamed Lightning for the early dress change, instead of the male cadet who'd started the assault. That was the sole reason as to why Lightning hadn't asked any of them if she could use their devices to call Serah.

Pride was a curious trait to have. Fear of rejection was another. Lightning had both emotions overlapping each other.

 _Curfews at ten…_ Lightning looked down at her watch. _Damn it; nine-forty_. She'd have to get back to her room soon or she'd be in serious trouble. No one wanted to be 'that girl' who was reprimanded on her first day at Shinra.

"You're soaking wet, Zack! Are you okay?!" Lightning heard someone ask loudly on another hall.

She heard the supposed 'Zack' person huff. "Yeah," he stated in a dejected tone. "Walking during a thunderstorm'll do that to you..."

"You heading back to your room, man?" the random voice asked. Lightning heard squeaky footsteps approaching the corridor she was on.

"Nuh-uh!" Zack protested. "There's still twenty minutes left to try and find _her_!"

"Find _who_?!"

"I swear," Zack said as he walked. "If I don't—" Zack had turned onto Lightning's hallway and when he froze, the world seemed to freeze with him.

The silence that ensued was enough to scare Lightning, and it was so quiet she debated on retrieving a pen and dropping it herself.

Five seconds, and he was still staring, jaw slacked and eyes wide.

Ten seconds… No response; just a gaze from her superior.

 _Is he all right?_ she asked herself. She couldn't read his expression, and the water dripping from his clothes, skin, and hair was severely distracting.

Twenty seconds went by…

Lightning pressed her lips in a tight line, never breaking eye contact with him. _Shouldn't he be going to dry off?_ "Um…?" She'd seen him before, Lieutenant Fair, during the ceremony, and she almost thought he'd been eyeing her as it commenced. She didn't think she'd been right, though, not until now…

Zack finally showed movement when he slowly lifted his hand and pointed an accusing finger at her. " _You_ ," he whispered. _It's really her!_

For a moment, Lightning thought her superior was referring to someone else, but as she checked either side of her, she saw no one. Unsure of what was happening, she pointed at herself, dumbfounded. _Am I getting reprimanded for earlier?_

Zack nodded vigorously, his grin widening. "Yes, _you_!" He approached her with eager strides, leaving a small trail of puddles behind for someone to possibly slip on later. "Do you know who you are?!"

"I... I would think so… sir," Lightning spoke up. Her brows raised in confusion. _What kind of question is that?_ She suspected that maybe he could've been drunk, but she wasn't about to ask.

"You're 'the girl with the kickass falcon punch'!" Zack explained. He wiped his face of the excess water that was falling from his hair. "I saw you hit that guy earlier, too. It was pretty awesome!"

Mortified was an understatement for the way Lightning felt when she heard the news. _Just how many people saw that?_

Zack lifted his hands up quickly when Lightning turned her head to hide her small blush. "Ah, don't be embarrassed! I didn't mean to put you on the spot—honest! I just wanted to meet you, is all—and make sure you were okay..." He held out his hand, not noticing the several droplets falling from his gloves. "I'm third class SOLDIER, Zack Fair—or Lieutenant Fair—but you can just call me Zack. Everyone does." There was pure authenticity in his pleasant tone.

A hesitant look swept across Lightning's already perplexed features, but she took his hand nonetheless. "I'm…?" _Why was he out in_ this _weather?_ None of this was making sense to her. _He wanted to make sure I was all right?_

Zack, who hadn't released her hand, paused. "You okay with being called 'I'm' or would you like to tell me your real name?"

Lightning parted her lips to answer, but the sound of a victory theme song began to spontaneously play around them. Zack finally released her hand, and hastily reached into his pocket to retrieve his PHS. He fumbled it in the air a few times due to his slippery fingers before he clutched it.

When he looked at the screen, he grinned again and held up one finger to Lightning. "One sec." He answered with a bright, "Aerith!" His whole demeanor of cheerfulness amplified times three, and Lightning felt herself becoming emotionally drained. It was like killing someone with kindness was an actual superpower that Zack Fair possessed and she was being defeated before her resting bitch face could repel his attacks. She was an introvert, for sure, requiring her own energy to survive and feeling exhausted when she felt the energy of others being pushed her way.

Lightning took a step back, rubbing her temples as she glanced at her watch. _Fifteen minutes…_

She was _definitely_ going to be late for curfew if she didn't head back now. _But I promised Serah I'd call…_

Zack was so busy pacing back and forth that he failed to notice how distraught Lightning looked, and how fidgety she appeared while she'd glance back and forth between Zack and the direction of where she assumed her sleeping quarters to be.

"Yeah, I'll definitely see you tomorrow," the SOLDIER said. "…I'm sorry I got held up today! I completely forgot after..." He waited a while and nodded. "Of course…! Uh-huh… Alright, see you soon!" As he hung up, he sighed blissfully—until he looked over at the distraught teen. All too quickly, his smile faded into a concerned frown. He felt genuinely upset upon seeing her expressing the same emotion. "Hey…" He took a careful step towards her. "You okay?"

"Yes, sir," she replied automatically. She had covered her hands over her nose in an upside down 'V' shape as she contemplated on calling Serah and she was pacing back and forth in a bid to distract herself from crying. _I don't want her to be up so late, not when she's just getting back to her old self—what the hell is he doing?!_

Zack was shaking her by the shoulders, just slightly. "Earth to 'I'm'. You look about ready to spaz out. You sure you're alright?" The droplets from his hair were falling onto her bangs and nose. That's how close they were.

Lightning rudely shrugged out of his grasp, forgetting that he was her superior for a moment. She began shaking her head as she started to retreat, taking several steps back before she turned and rushed off. "Can't believe this," Zack heard her whisper.

"Wha—hey!" Zack called, running after her. He easily caught up to her as she powerwalked, noticing that she seemed about as lost as most newbies to the facilities would be—especially by the way she'd pace aimlessly from one hall to the next.

Zack eventually had enough and he grabbed her left arm. "Hello," was his annoyed reply. When she tried to pull away from him, the pressure on her arm increased. "Would you just calm down and talk to me?"

The look she gave him was a cross one. "Yes, _sir_." She had such a huge bite in her voice when she'd spoken those words, and Zack didn't like it at all. He could've easily taken advantage of his position and ordered her to clean the floors of the training facility with her toothbrush, or some other form of cruel and unusual punishment, but he opted to push the degrading thoughts aside—despite how livid he appeared.

Zack was visibly giving her a small glare, a rarity for him, but even the pup had his limits. He'd spent an entire day looking for her, after all, only to have her crudely speak to him in such a way. _Then again_ , he mused as his face softened. _She looks genuinely upset… Something must be bothering her…_ He just hoped it wasn't _someone_ , like the cadet from earlier who groped her.

"…Your hands are wet," Lightning spoke up, clearly aggravated.

Zack glanced down at her arm, noticing her black cadet gloves were turning a darker shade from all the water seeping off him. His eyes trailed to her watch. _Ah, curfew…_ _that makes more sense._ "Where are you trying to get to exactly?" he asked her. The barracks were on several different floors.

Lightning bit her bottom lip and glanced to her right. She hated asking for help and she didn't like the idea of appearing as if she were a damsel in distress. It wasn't her thing.

Zack leaned down towards her shorter frame, getting a better view of her face. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me, cadet. I know you're lost, but it's okay to ask for help." She met his gaze to see that he was grinning, seeming smug about the situation.

"…Room 444, Sir," she answered quietly. Her eyes darted towards the floor when his grin widened.

 _At least she's on the right floor._ Zack released her and gave her a calculated nod as he watched the turmoil building on her face. _But she doesn't look relieved…_ Frowning, he asked, "Something else is bothering you, isn't it?"

"No, sir," she lied. She sounded more hoarse than usual, like she was going to cry; it was a rarity for Light. The poor girl just wanted to talk to her sister.

"You know, you can call me 'Zack,'" he stated. "I don't mind. Now tell me what's up."

"There's nothing wrong," Lightning answered again. She blinked, before adding, "Sir…"

 _I don't know why the heck she's so stubborn… but maybe it's because..._ Zack, ever the people pleaser, gave her a thoughtful glance before he reached into his pocket. "I think I know what you need…" He grabbed her hand and placed his PHS in it. "Here," he said, using his free hand to wrap her fingers around it. "You probably miss your family, right?"

Lightning gawked at him with parted lips, but when she got over her shock, she hurriedly pushed the device back towards him. "I… I can't accept this, Lieutenant Fair," she said in a rush.

Zack pushed it back towards her, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "When I got here, I realized they had no public devices to call from—only the PHS that was assigned to us," he stated. "I secretly cried that night because I didn't know when I'd get to call my parents again."

Lightning looked out of her element. This whole situation had been pretty random. "...When'd you finally get to call them?"

"The very next day," Zack said, chuckling when Lightning's cheeks turned scarlet. He patted her shoulder. "You'll get yours tomorrow, too; they just haven't issued them out yet." He leaned forward to whisper in her right ear, "They don't tell you this because they like to see the new recruits sweat and get all their crying and homesickness out during the first day."

Embarrassed for being so upset, Lightning began fiddling with the buttons on the PHS, ignoring the sensual chill that she felt when she felt Zack's breath on the shell of her ear. "Oh…" was all she could say.

"Let me show you…" Zack's cold, damp gloved fingers hovered over hers to help her with the keys. "This is the menu button," he explained. "And I guess this part is pretty self-explanatory." He was referring to the section labeled Call Log. "What's her number?" When Lightning recited it to him, he entered in each digit and stepped back, pushing the object towards her ear. "There ya go." Lightning gave him a nod of thanks as the device began to ring while Zack remained a good distance away to try and give her some privacy, although his ears would be able to hear every detail due to his mako injections…

"Sis!" Snow shouted from the receiver. "How ya been?!"

Zack almost laughed when he saw Lightning's shoulders slump and the small glower that appeared on her lips. "I'm not your sister. Where's Serah?"

"Um… She just fell asleep," Snow admitted. "You want me to wake her? She's been waiting on your call all day."

Zack watched the hurt flashing in Lightning's eyes as she processed what Snow had said. He felt rude for overhearing, but he couldn't help it.

A displeased sigh escaped Lightning's lips, and she combed her hand through her hair, making sure to push it all to one side. "No," she said, shaking her head. "No—but tell her I called. I don't want to wake her up like that. She needs rest. You know she's really frail right now…"

Zack felt the ends of his lips curling south. _Is her sister sick or something?_

"I don't want to wake her either," Snow said to her. "But I know she really wanted to talk to you today… Just—shit, just wait a sec." Lightning began to pace around while she and Zack heard Snow wake her groggy, tenuous sister.

"Is that sis?" Serah asked.

Zack felt his heart drop upon hearing how frail she sounded. _Definitely ill…_

"Yeah," Snow could be heard saying. "She called just to see you…"

"S-Sis?" Serah asked weakly. "You there?"

"Serah!" Lightning nearly cried. She gripped her bangs with her free hand as she halted near Zack, peering down at the floor absently. "I'm sorry! I'm didn't mean to wake you—!"

"No, sis," Serah said, sounding more determined this time. "I've been waiting to hear from you. How is it over there? Are people being nice?" Serah was so innocent about her view of the world…

Lightning felt a tear threatening to fall from her eyes when she heard how feeble Serah sounded. It reminded her of when Serah was stuck in the hospital, and she really didn't want to explain the groping incident to her little sister, either. It would do nothing but upset her. "Everything's fine," she lied. "Don't worry; I'm all right."

"That's great," Serah mustered out. "I…" She yawned. "My medicine makes me _so_ tired."

 _Even without your medicine, you'd still feel tired, Ser…_ "I'll call sooner from now on," Lightning assured her. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

"But I want to hear about your day," Serah whined.

"Get some rest, Serah," Lightning ordered. " _Please_ …"

"Oh, all right," Serah forced out. She sounded as if she were pouting. "Goodnight."

"Night…" As Lightning hung up, she released a tired huff and handed Zack his PHS back, giving him a nod of thanks. "Thank you, Lieutenant Fair."

Zack stuffed the device back in his pocket. "It's no problem." He waved for her to follow him with two fingers. "Your barracks are this way."

They walked in silence—an awkward silence—causing Lightning to find the wall more fascinating than staring at the SOLDIER, who was peering over at her curiously. His wet boots were squeaking from being so soaked, while Lightning's where making small 'squish' sounds from being so new.

" _So_ ," Zack spoke up. "Is your sister sick or something? She sounded—"

"She's recovering from an illness," Lightning replied offhandedly. She caught her mistake, adding, "Sir."

The SOLDIER frowned as he scratched his chin. "You know you can call me… ah, never mind." It was a lost cause to argue with her. He knew he'd lose, but something in him stopped him from _commanding_ her to call him 'Zack'. He felt like it was an abuse of power, and he felt a strong need to make sure that the girl before him never felt as if he were an abuser of any form. "Has she been sick for a while?"

Lightning gave a curt nod, not wanting to delve too much into the subject. "Most of her life."

"I can understand why you're worrying so much then," Zack said, offering her a smile.

 _I wonder if he expects me to smile back…_

 _She really doesn't talk much, does she?_ Zack thought.

As it began to rain harder outside, they passed by a large glass window. "I love thunderstorms," Zack spoke up. _I don't really think I'm dumb enough to go walking through one again, though._ However, he loathed quiet situations such as these. Their choice of squeaky footwear was starting to irk him, too. "What about you?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes."

"…You're not into socializing much, are you?"

"What gave me away, lieutenant?" she drawled.

Zack rolled his eyes, but a smile remained on his lips. "You're just like my friend, Squall. He's training the gunblade units tomorrow with Seifer." A troubled expression appeared on his features. "Not sure what to make of that." His face brightened when their eyes met. "You two would probably get along great, though."

Lightning had become alert the moment he'd said 'gunblade'. "The… the gunblade units?"

 _Yes! I got her talking!_ "Yeah, I hear it's a fun class," Zack said, trying to contain his excitement in a simple shrug. "Once you newbies survive basic training these next few months then you get to pick which weaponry unit you want to apply for, and they give you a bunch of training courses before you're selected into the program—but you have to get field experience to be considered for the program."

"So each weapon has a 'program?'"

"Yep, so while you're taking classes for that field, and if you get some experience outside of class on a mission, you can qualify to have your application reviewed so that you can carry that weapon in combat and get certified. The only person who can give you certification is whoever's in charge of your program—and yours will be Squall or Seifer if you're hoping to try out for the gunblade unit…" He placed both hands behind his head as he paced. "I'm more of a buster sword specialist myself, but it'd be nice to train with someone from a different class." He gave her his signature grin. "We should spar together sometime. It could be fun. Cloud and I have a great time."

"O-okay...?" She had no idea who Cloud was, or why he was named after something so strange, but she really couldn't talk, considering the name she went by…

They both came to a slow halt after a while, and Zack grinned as he peered up. "Here we are," he said, hitching his thumb towards the barracks. They had reached the women's barracks, but Zack could go no further beyond that point to help her find her room number. He was sure she knew the way to her room from beyond there, at least.

Lightning looked down at her watch. _Ten 'o five… I'm late._ "Thanks, Lieutenant—"

"You there," Jihl said calmly. She approached them with a look of disdain in her eyes, and her long, wavy, ash-blond hair was bouncing as she paced in her gray blouse and matching formfitting skirt. "On the _first_ day, cadet? _Really_?" She regarded Zack with a glower and fixed her glasses by pushing them further up the bridge of her nose. "Lieutenant Fair, you've no right to make my cadets wander after curfew—and _alone_ with a male at that…"

She gave Lightning an accusing glare by narrowing her eyes. "And just what _were_ you two doing? Fraternization is prohibited." She took a threatening step towards the girl, pushing all of her weight on her left boot. "I could report this and have you out of here before you've even been issued your schedule tomorrow, cadet."

"Commander Jihl," Lightning started, making the woman give her a scorned look of disapproval. "I—"

"It's my fault," Zack cut in, stepping between them before Jihl could advance any further.

 _If he does this now, I'll be bullied the rest of my time here._ Lightning wasn't having it, so she shook her head and stepped around him. "No, it's mine."

Zack scoffed incredulously. _You're still being difficult._ He met her gaze with a pointed stare as he stepped in front of her. Eventually, Lightning moved to stand beside him and they frowned at each other.

 _Don't give me that look_ , Lightning thought. She raised both eyebrows at him, challenging him. _It's my fault._

 _I'm trying to help here_ , Zack thought back, raising his own brows in response. _So, let me!_

Lightning huffed, turning to Jihl. Just as she'd started to speak, Zack stepped in front of her again, even going so far as to gently push her behind him with his left hand. To prevent her from moving, her had grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it, almost as if scolding her.

"Can you give us a sec, Jihl?" he asked the woman, lifting his index finger with his free hand. "Please? I'm begging." They were familiar enough with each other that they spoke freely often. Zack was friends with everyone, after all.

Jihl looked appalled at the very idea, but because it was Zack, she turned away, mumbling about him being a 'hyperactive socialist'.

Zack took his cue, and he gripped Lightning's left shoulder as he turned them away from the commander. They were huddled towards the wall. "Do you really want cleanup duty after your first day of basic training tomorrow?!" he asked Lightning in a harsh whisper-yell. "I'm trying to save you here, but you're so stubborn you won't even let me do that." She was exasperating.

"I don't need saving," Lightning whispered back, folding her arms. " _I_ messed up; _I'll_ accept my punishment. There's no honor in taking the easy way out."

 _Honor…?_ Zack felt himself approving, and he secretly praised Lightning for her morals. _She really does want to earn her slot here… Gaia help her stubbornness, though._

"…Why're you looking at me like that?" Lightning asked, murmuring. She felt exposed right then, all in that simple, intrigued stare.

Zack snapped out of his musing, shaking his head. "Ah, right… As much as I agree with you, I can't let you be your own hero today." _Never thought I'd tell someone that..._

"Why not?"

"Because you just got here," he said. "They'd take some of your privileges away before you could even use them."

"So?"

" _So_ , you might not get your PHS when they issue them out tomorrow morning, meaning—"

"I might not get to call Serah for a while…" Lightning bit her bottom lip while she processed this. That was a _huge_ issue. Serah was the only one, and only thing, that mattered to Lightning—besides making SOLDIER.

Zack saw the awareness in her blue eyes and he smiled. Of course, he'd let Lightning use his PHS again tomorrow if she asked, but he knew she wouldn't if she were given the opportunity. It was better to try and manipulate the situation, even if he didn't want to. "Tell me your name," he said.

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, I told you mine. It's only fair."

"Fair?" She almost felt humor at her accidental play on words.

"Yeah." He held out his hand. "We've been through this, but let's take it from the top," he teased. "I'm Lieutenant Fair, and you are…?"

Lightning hadn't comprehended how close they truly were until she got a whiff of Zack's breath. Mint permeated her nostrils, and she also smelled a slight mix of rain. Her face turned a light shade of scarlet as she looked away, but Zack kept inclining his towards her to get a better view of her face. Eventually, he lowered his hand after she refused to shake it.

"Aw, come on! Just tell me," he begged, reminding her of a puppy. "Tell me, or I won't help you—and then you can't call Serah tomorrow." He hadn't really meant what he said about not helping her, but he hoped that Lightning wouldn't see through his façade. He'd never be that cruel. "Think of your sister." That was all she _ever_ thought about...

"It's been longer than 'a sec', Zack," Jihl said, clearly annoyed. "What're you two whispering about?" Jihl had yet to receive Mako injections, like most of the female officers of Shinra. She'd just been transferred from Cocoon herself, unbeknownst to Lightning.

"Promise?" Lightning asked, thinking only of her sister.

Zack gave her a determined look, lifting his right hand. "On my honor as a SOLDIER."

The thunder outside roared, and Lightning thought of an idea. "Okay."

Zack's brows raised, startled by her lenience. " _Okay_?" _That was easy._

"Zack," Jihl snapped.

"My name," Lightning began quickly. "It flashes bright, then fades away," she murmured. "It can't protect, it only destroys. That is my name."

"Wha—?"

"You promised, Lieutenant Fair," Lightning said, pointing her index at him before he could protest.

Zack gave her a bashful look as they took a step back from each other. "I'm…" He forced himself to break eye contact with the troubled cadet and gazed at Jihl, who was approaching them. "I'm sorry about that, Commander Jihl," he said, glancing at the girl who'd bested him. "Don't blame her, though." He touched his chest. "It was completely my fault. I held her up."

Jihl gave him a curt nod before turning to Lightning. "Just get to your room… _now_."

Lightning hurried off before Zack could say goodbye, and Jihl's eyes darted in his direction. An unimpressed smirk tugged on her lips when she saw that he was peering at Lightning's retreating form. "Fraternization isn't allowed, Zack," she reminded him.

He blinked out of his pondering, turning to face her. "It's not like that..." _Is it?_ He glanced at the thunderstorm he'd been dumb enough to walk through from the large window, seeing flashes of blue and yellow soar by.

"You should really change before you catch a cold. You're dripping all over the floor," Jihl spoke up, pacing by him. "The lightning's beautiful tonight… isn't it?"

"Yeah, it really is…" Zack's Mako eyes widened before he slowly began grinning to himself. "So _that's_ your name…?" What a strange, yet commanding, name it was. Chuckling, he began pacing back the way he'd come, and he couldn't wait to tell his best friend about the peculiar cadet he'd just met.

Somewhere in headquarters, a Shinra employee on night patrol had slipped on one of the puddles that Zack Fair had produced.

...

 **A/N:** I hope their introductions seemed legit. Whether they are or not, you're welcome to let me know lol Thanks for reading!

-AJ


	3. Repercussions

**REVISED! :)**

 **Chapter 3: Repercussions**

Drills entailed of marching, upper and lower strength exercises, and endurance tasks. Lightning, having already been in the class for a month since arriving, knew she'd break a sweat in the blaring heat, and she focused on the sound of each whistle while she stood in formation with her fellow male, and female, cadets, on the training field. The area was muddy, and the air felt humid and unforgiving—not a cloud in sight after it had rained for three days straight prior. And even during the unfair conditions, lieutenant Beatrix still had them doing foot drills, boosting their stamina, and making it known that Lightning was her least favorite student, thanks to Zack. She had to ice her legs daily in order to not feel as sore the next day. Her feet had blisters and occasionally, she'd march her toenails off from the intense workout Beatrix gave her.

 _One whistle is attention_ , she thought from where she stood with her hands at her sides. _The other whistle after that is at ease… but… what was the rest?_ Her brows were unintentionally drawing together as she tried to remember, and she was thankful she was wearing her helmet to avoid being ridiculed by the woman yet again.

Beside her, another boy was thinking the same topics. _Two whistles back-to-back means squats—or was it pushups…? Or was it sit-ups? Ah, fuck! What do three whistles mean?_

Fang wasn't in the front row of ten, like Lightning, Vanille and some other cadets; she was on the third row, with Paine, who were both as baffled as the other cadets.

 _Can't believe she up and changed the whistle commands_ , Fang mused. She felt as if she needed to take her helmet off and dump the bucket of sweat it contained out. _And she only had the nerve to say them_ once _…_

 _That was a bitch move_ , Paine thought, wishing the woman could see her scowl. And it was a Monday of all things… Lieutenant Beatrix usually waited until Wednesday to display her full-on sadistic side.

Another male cadet was having the overload of the century from all the unnecessary bitchiness, and he promptly fell face first into the mud. He was so tall that the collapse resembled watching a tree fall over before someone shouted timber. Whether it was from nervousness of the new whistle commands, fatigue, or simply locking his knees, he was thankful when the nearby paramedic in white dragged him away towards the Shinra building that resided behind where she was teaching.

The observation deck towered over the field—and the entrance below it—where many upper-class were observing the rookies. They'd all been there, sweating and struggling to survive their first training course, but never had any of them been taught by a woman. The idea produced gossip among the ranks, and most would come to witness how ruthless Beatrix was when teaching, if not to see how much, or how little, the cadets in her class were improving as the sessions came and went.

It had been time for a water break for nearly thirty minutes, yet despite this, Beatrix wasn't wavering in her decision to skip it. They only had twenty minutes left, and she wasn't pleased with the fact that her cadets were drained. If this were Alexandria, her knights would've done better.

Her left eye—since the right was covered by a silver eye patch—was narrowing at them while she remained under the comforts of her white cloak to shield her pale skin from the rays. Her metal boots clanked as she shifted her weight onto her right foot and sighed. _But the knights of Alexandria were all much older than these rookies… far older._ Shinra allowed teenagers in their ranks; while most areas did not. Perhaps she would feel better picking on someone and the longer she allowed the black whistle to rest between her lips, the more the idea appealed to her.

She blew her whistle three times, watching as every cadet hit the ground with their palms simultaneously—all but three people.

"Cadet Dalmasca!" Beatrix snapped. She pointed to the track. "Perhaps a lap will make you remember that three whistles means pushups!"

Although the girl wanted to cry as she saluted, she simply shouted, "I'm sorry, Ma'am! I'll remember from now on!" And with that, she hurried off to complete her lap.

"Cadet Handa!" she hollered at the second slacker. "Cadet Nagata! You're letting these little girls outshine you!"

Saluting, both male teens shouted, "We're sorry, lieutenant!"

"Go join Cadet Dalmasca!"

"Ma'am!" they both replied before running off.

Above them, in the observatory, Zack was standing up there with Squall and Seifer, waiting on Auron to arrive.

"Finally," Seifer said, crossing his arms with a smirk. His light colored eyes glimmered with smugness as he watched Ashe running, knowing her girly run from anywhere. As he crossed his arms, he said, "The little _princess_ is gettin' corrected. 'Bout time someone did it. She can't move for shit on the field, but she sure as hell knows what to do on her knees from what Lieutenant Genks told me." He was wearing a gray coat to cover his dark uniform.

Squall, although silent in his all black attire—and slightly annoyed to be standing at such a close proximity to his blond adversary—was silently agreeing with Ashe's failed skill level. She was lagging behind her comrades in more ways than one and the instructors from yesterday, who'd taught the 'hands on' combat training for rookie cadets, had all but disregarded Ashe's failed attempts at learning new techniques. She wouldn't last unless someone righted her wrongs, and although Beatrix couldn't do that for the 'hands on' combat training classes since they weren't hers to teach, she could certainly make sure Ashe's stances and endurance were up to par—if not close to perfection.

Zack didn't bat an eye at Seifer's brutal description of the poor cadet, and now that Beatrix had allowed the cadets to take their helmets off, he was far more focused on a girl with silver hair, not the blond haired girl who was _supposedly_ giving favors to his comrades. "Who's the one with the red eyes?"

"That's Paine," Squall spoke up. "We met yesterday—"

Blue-green irises gave a complacent glance at Squall. "Does your sorceress know about said meeting?" It was a nickname Seifer had given her to taunt Squall, and he reminded Squall often that Rinoa had him on a leash. Good thing she didn't sign up to train at Shinra—as if she truly would if asked.

"Refrain from speaking to me unless we're in the training facilities," Squall said. "No, scratch that; refrain from speaking to me at all." There wasn't an edge of any kind to his low, despondent voice—and that made the order all the more threatening.

Zack stepped between the two in a cautious movement. "Let's all be friendly here," he said with a weary smile, patting Squall and Seifer on the shoulders. _They're going to kill each other at this rate._ Last time they'd tried, Zack and Sazh had found them both on the ground with matching scars. Mako blue eyes gazed at Squall, almost grimacing at the memory. "You were talking about Paine?"

Squall ignored Seifer's scoff. "Yes," he spoke up. "She wants to tryout for Angeal's buster sword unit after her basic training's over and she can get some field experience—either that or Auron's unit." He glanced down at his watch. "I thought he'd be here by now…"

A wide grin spread on Zack's lips. _Can't wait to work with her._ He'd been training under Angeal in the buster sword unit for a few months and it was like a dream. "She looks pretty badass, not gonna lie."

Seifer shook his head, waving the pair off with a flick of his wrist while he headed for the exit. "Seems like a poser to me."

 _One poser recognizes another_ , Squall thought. Once the blond had left he asked, "How long until he's assigned somewhere else?" He shifted slightly, making the belt on his black attire clink. The standoffish glance he was giving Zack wasn't taken to heart by the third class SOLDIER, though. He knew Squall was his friend, and that look was just his relaxed face. It was an incurable disease really, and it was suffered by many people, who commonly referred to it as: RBF—or Resting Bitch Face.

"Tomorrow's the last day," Zack assured him. He gave his friend a quick thumbs up. "Promise. You two should really learn to cooperate, though. It puts the cadets on edge when they notice the tension."

"He's incapable of working with people."

"Funny, he said the same thing about you." They quieted to hear what was happening down below. Apparently, Beatrix had been scolding Ashe for a while after the girl had finished her run. The Lieutenant was directly in the blonde's face now, and the skin on her neck had turned red as she finished her rant.

"If you think I'll allow you to pass this class just because your husband is high ranking, think again!" Beatrix snapped. She glanced at Lightning when Ashe had lowered her head in shame. "And you're no better!"

Confused, Lightning's brow arched. "I don't understand what you mean, lieutenant."

"You've been lagging behind!" It was a lie, but Lightning knew the torture was coming, all thanks to Zack.

"I don't believe I have, ma'am." She had to keep her tone level, and her eyes blank to avoid glaring. _I should've never let him take the blame for my tardiness that night._ A month—it had been _one_ month later and Lightning was _still_ getting picked on by all of her instructors for winning favor from Zack for the incidence. It was abuse at it's finest, but she tried her best to endure.

"Cadet Oerba!" Beatrix called. "Front and center!"

Fang strode over to the three of them casually. The female had a swagger about her that gave one the impression that there was nothing that put her on edge. _Can't wait until I get to try out for the spear unit…_ "Something buggin' ya, Lieutenant?"

"I'm the instructor," Beatrix stated. "Am I not?"

"Of course, lieutenant," Fang replied.

"My word is never a lie, is it, cadet?"

"No ma'am." _Fuck, I see where this is goin'…_ Lightning was screwed either way.

"Then Cadet Farron is a liar for not agreeing with my better judgment, isn't she?"

"Ah…" Here's where she entered a grey area, and Fang's expression faltered as she locked eyes with Lightning. "I…" Her gaze firmly met her commanding officer's. "I don't really think Cadet Farron is one to lie… ma'am."

Beatrix didn't seem to like the reaction, but instead of yelling, she said, "Explain."

"She's never lied to me—and I'm callin' you no liar, either—but you're askin' me to make an assumption about a fellow comrade that's inaccurate… ma'am."

A coy smirk quirked on Beatrix's lips. "So you'd vouch for her?"

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"Every time." The unwavering way she said it made the lieutenant proud, if not a little peeved that she couldn't pick on Lightning today… or could she?

"Every time," Beatrix mused, touching her chin. As she tilted her head, she nodded. "That's infinity, isn't it?" Her eyes darted to Lightning's. "How about it then? Since you called me a liar, you'll do _infinity_ pushups until _I_ get tired." She blew the whistle three times, ignoring everyone's gasp, and Lightning quickly dropped to the ground to get into position.

When Beatrix blew the whistle again, Lightning began her tasks. "One," she groaned out as she performed the first exercise. She dipped down again, pushing herself up and making sure her toes were perfect. "Two…"

"Louder!" Beatrix commanded, squatting down in from of her.

"Three!" Lightning shouted.

"That's better," the woman said. She peered up at Fang. "She has tactics class up next, doesn't she?"

"Yes, lieutenant," was Fang's low reply. She was trying her best not to look upset, as were all the other cadets in formation.

"Tell Lieutenant Kunsel she won't be making it."

Looking none too pleased, Fang nodded.

"The rest of you!" Beatrix said as Lightning continued her impossible task. "Dismissed."

Everyone saluted. "Ma'am, yes Ma'am!" It took a moment for everyone to disassemble, fearing that Lightning might collapse. Beatrix didn't seem to care as she stood and texted something on her PHS, despite the way Lightning's arms began to tremble as she shouted, "Twelve!" The girl's face was turning red, and she was panting heavily. "Th-thirteen!"

No one on the field could endure those pushups after the grueling drills Beatrix had just put them through. "Fourteen!"

"This isn't fair, Fang," Vanille whispered as she paced away. Over her shoulder, the orange-haired girl couldn't help but feel worried when she saw Lightning's movements slow…

Above them, a second class SOLDIER whistled. "I envy you, Fair. She's hot."

"Bet you haven't even fucked 'er," someone added with a scoff.

"Like _you_ would," another voice countered.

"I would, but I'm saving myself for Zack over there." Everyone chuckled, and some even agreed.

" _Everyone_ knows getting with Zack is like getting with Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth—impossible. Can't touch 'em." It was true, and although there were few men who were into the same sex at Shinra, it was a running joke that a lot of people found Zack Fair to be attractive—not just for his looks, but for his charisma. He could easily make the most detached person attached to him via his winning smile.

"I second that," someone joked. "That's probably why everyone's picking on her. You caused an entire team of instructors to be jealous of a scrawny little teenager. Congrats, Fair." It was half true; some female instructors were envious of the favoritism a _SOLDIER_ gave a lowly cadet.

Zack was frowning, a rarity for him. _This is all my fault. I should've just let her take her punishment that night…_ Every female officer had given her negative treatment since.

Beside him, Squall was noticing his friend's discomfort, and his blue eyes scrutinized Zack's nervous form, debating on whether he should ask what was wrong… _There's a time and place for everything._ He'd wait.

Down below, Lightning gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up once more. "T-twenty…" Her tone was getting lower, and so were her movements. She felt as if she were going to vomit.

"Cadet!" Beatrix shouted. "Why aren't you louder?!" She knelt again. "I can't hear you!"

 _Oh no_ , Lightning thought. The heat had gotten to her, and before she could stop herself, she vomited all over Beatrix's boots. She would've heard the slew of scandalous words that the woman called her, had she not crawled back in a bid to avoid collapsing her face in her own puke before she passed out. The ground must've been sharper than she expected, because her head was throbbing. Even as Lightning welcomed the darkness, that never stopped Beatrix from ordering her to get up—and it was _Genesis_ of all people who everyone saw pace onto the field below to reprimand the lieutenant…

* * *

"You're awake!" Vanille chirped from where she sat on the edge the hospital bed, dangling her feet in a childish manner. "Fang! Paine! Look she's awake!"

"We can see that," Paine clarified, stepping forward. She appreciated that the girl was eager to inform them, though. Her presence reminded her of Rikku.

"What…?" Lightning groaned and she ready to push herself up by pressing her palms on either side of the bed, only to have a firm hand touch her shoulder.

"Easy, sunshine," Fang spoke up. "You need rest."

Her eyes opened, but for a few seconds, all she saw was a blur. "I'm fine," she lied, touching her forehead when she felt the throbbing vein pumping on the right side. She felt sore all over, and she saw that Paine, Fang, and Vanille were beside her bed while a female, brunette medic in white was looking over a clipboard.

"Professor Hojo will be here shortly," the medic spoke up before exiting the room. Grey must've been Shinra's favorite color. The floor and walls always matched in areas like these—even the counters and utensils.

Paine folded her arms, and her eyes inspected Lightning from where she laid. "You sure you're alright?"

Lightning bowed her head. "Yeah…"

"You gave everyone a scare this morning," Paine said offhandedly. Vanille was giggling to herself as she met gazes with Lightning, like she knew a secret, while Fang rolled her eyes, but smirked nonetheless.

Lightning looked back and forth between the two. "What…?" When they didn't speak, she grew irritable and cut her eyes at them. Her arched brow dared them to keep gossip from her. "Tell me," she demanded.

"Lieutenant Fair carried you here," Vanille spoke up. She laughed when Lightning's jaw dropped, and Fang quickly used her index finger to set it back in place.

"He was watching our class from the observation deck," Paine said quietly. "And after Genesis told him you had a high fever and a concussion, he brought you here."

Fang nodded. "You hit your head pretty hard against a rock out there. Got a nasty scar because of it, too, but it looks better than lieutenant Beatrix's boots."

Lightning was about to delve further into the subject, but the door opened, revealing Cloud Strife.

Fang whistled, brows rising as she gave Cloud a brief inspection. "Oh, another suitor, eh? Three in a day; I'm impressed. Care to share?"

Mortified, Lightning pointed at the door. "Get _out_."

"I'll save you a spot in the cafeteria for dinner later," Fang said, giving Cloud a mischievous nod. "You, too." Vanille did the same, blushing as she passed. Paine gave Lightning a curious look when she thought of her staying alone with a male in her condition. Professor Hojo had yet to come, but when he did, Lightning would still be alone with a male. She didn't like the option, not after hearing the rumors of what went on in Hojo's rooms.

Paine found no faults in Cloud, but the statement lingering in her head from the speech so many female officers had given them remained fresh in her mind: _Anything_ could happen. There was even a molestation rumor going around about Professor Hojo, but the girl who'd supposedly reported it had been dismissed from Shinra. Whether or not it was a real report, Paine wasn't taking any chances.

"I'll wait outside," Paine opted. She'd give her and Cloud some privacy, but when Professor Hojo had arrived, she'd re-enter and stay for as long as she was allowed, for Lightning's sake.

Lightning gave her an appreciative nod. "Thanks."

As soon as the door closed, Lightning gave Cloud a questioning stare. "…Who're you?" She hadn't meant to sound so vulnerable. Getting abused daily will do that to anyone, though…

"I'm Cloud," he replied quietly. He looked nervous. "Zack's friend."

"So, _you're_ Cloud," she mused, remembering the conversation she and Zack had.

Cloud gave her a small smile. "I heard you got lieutenant Beatrix's shoes all dirtied up today."

Lightning shrugged absently, glancing at the IV in her right arm. "She deserved it."

Cloud agreed with a light hum. "Zack was pretty upset with her for picking on you—and Commander Rhapsodos reprimanded all the higher-up female ranks for giving you hell these past few days—and some of the guys who helped. He looked peeved and he starting spouting some lines from that _Loveless_ book he's always reading."

Lightning lowered her head to hide her barely there smile. She could picture the scene in her head. _Such is the will of the Goddess..._ She'd never even read the damn book, but she knew a lot of the words, thanks to hearing him recite it.

Cloud casually seated himself on the edge of the bed, making sure to sit at the farthest end so that he wouldn't give Lightning the wrong impression. In truth, he was worn-out from all of his field training. "But um…" He covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. "Zack used a lot of material on your head. He said something about you possibly cracking your skull from the angle in which you hit the point. Beatrix said she heard a crunch."

"I see…" Lightning almost smiled at the irony. _My dream I had about lightning striking into the floor was real then… metaphorically, of course._

"So… Zack told me to tell you personally that Tseng dragged him off on a mission involving paperwork," Cloud spoke up. "He promised he'd be back to check up on you soon, though—right after he escaped." Lightning couldn't help the grin that formed on her lips, and the duo chuckled a little at the thought. She'd conversed with him a few times after the PHS incident to know that this was typical Zack behavior.

Cloud yawned again before Lightning could ask anything further on the topic.

"Rough training session?" she guessed.

Cloud nodded, rubbing his face groggily. "Commander Laguna and Commander Sazh had us doing drills like crazy." _That, and the author of this fanfiction is a glorified sadist…_

Lightning's interest was piqued. "I hear they're class favorites," she spoke up. Conversation seemed to flow easy among them, something that was a rarity for both parties.

"They are," Cloud said, smiling a little. He was shy and calming by nature, a foreshadowing trait of what was going to be lost in less than a few years time. "Commander Sazh is pretty cool to talk to." He grinned at the thought. "He's really sociable with cadets—Laguna is an open book, but he's always catching up on paperwork—or running away from it so he doesn't have much time to talk."

"Like Zack," Lightning stated.

Cloud nodded. "You should train with us," he suggested. "Squall and Zack talk about it a lot, but we figured not to ask during your first month week here—just so you could get conditioned."

"Who's Squall?"

"Oh, sorry," he said quietly. "He's lieutenant Squall. I met him through Zack."

"Zack knows everyone," Lightning said. It gave her a headache just thinking about the extrovert.

Cloud offered her a remorseful look. "It really gets weird sometimes," he admitted, causing Lightning to meet his gaze. "When you're a cadet, you kind of feel out of place, so it's weird befriending higher-ups—but I honestly didn't mean to befriend Zack." He shrugged. "We just started talking on a mission, and we had a lot in common so…"

There was a tired look in his blue eyes as he gave Lightning a sympathetic smile. "I got hell for it too, you know? Kind of like you did when Zack helped you on your first day, but mine was more from the other cadets than my superiors..."

"When did they stop bothering you?"

"They haven't really," he confessed. "They still get a little vicious, depending on the situation, but I don't let it get to me. It's just pointless behavior that I don't have time for."

"...Hey Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"Have you… ever…?" She shook her head, waving her hand to dismiss the idea. "Never mind."

"What?" he pressed.

After pressing her lips in a tight line, she gave in and sighed. "Have you ever asked Zack for—?"

"Perks?" he asked. "Special treatment." He shook his head when she bowed hers. "No, but everyone thinks so. That's why it gets difficult to be his friend." He gave her a pointed look. "I sometimes wonder if I'll even get a chance to be promoted _because_ I'm friends with Zack…" It was a challenging position for a low ranking cadet to be in. "I want to earn my ranks, but I don't think anyone takes me seriously enough to consider giving me a promotion…"

In that moment, Lightning saw a bit of herself in Cloud, that urge of wanting to be the greatest—of needing to be accepted…

"How many higher-ups are you friends with?" she asked curiously.

"Just three," he answered. "Squall, Zack, and Tidus."

"…How many cadets are you friends with?"

"None," he admitted, blushing as he looked away. "I'm not really good at—"

"Hey," she said softly, knowing she had been in the same predicament going to school at Cocoon… She had dropped everything to join Shinra.

Cloud looked up to see that she was offering him her hand to shake.

"I'm Lightning Farron," she said. "Call me Light."

Cloud clasped her hand in his. "Cloud Strife. Just call me—"

"Chocobo head," Lightning blurted out, not realizing she'd voiced her thoughts until it was too late. Her eyes rounded, and flashed with a brief apology.

Cloud's face turned three shades of scarlet, but he took it in stride. "My hair can't help that it's vertically challenged," he commented.

Lightning's eyes filled with mirth. "Vertically cha…?" They released hands and she shook her head. "Full originality points there, Cloud."

This was the start of a beautiful friendship.

"You know, I just call him 'Spikes' sometimes," Zack spoke up from the doorway. "Or 'Spikey'." He was leaning against the frame with a pleased look dancing in his eyes as they flickered between the pair. _All right, she passed the friend test!_ "But now that you mention it—"

"Don't even go there," Cloud warned. He gave Zack a playful glare. "Remember your helmet hair."

Zack pretended to gag as he walked further into the room, clearly horrified. "You win."

"No one can forget _that_ ," Cloud concluded.

Zack pouted. "Hey, I said 'you win!'" He spiritedly put Cloud in a headlock, and Lightning found herself enjoying their childish behavior. This was the first time she felt truly content since she'd arrived at Shinra, but it didn't sit well with her. Serah wasn't there to share it with her. Grudgingly, she face palmed when she realized she was smiling, glad that the duo hadn't noticed.

"And you wonder why your fan club ships you and Cloud together," Squall spoke up from the doorway. He was standing next to Paine, who looked a tad wary of Lightning having so many males in her room.

Squall gave Lightning a nod before glancing at his two friends. "I can just picture all of the yaoi fanfiction if they saw this…" They had plenty already.

Zack chuckled when he peered down at Cloud's mortified face. "We're practically backwater brothers," he said, remembering the day he met the blond. They broke apart and bumped their elbows together. "Don't be jealous of our bromance. I'd do this with you too, if you'd let me."

Squall rolled his eyes, and he stiffly crossed his arms. "Right…" His gaze flickered towards Lightning. "How's your head... and well, everything else?"

"Fine," she said, nodding.

Blue eyes locked with the blonde's. "Cloud," Squall stated. "Rinoa's visiting tomorrow afternoon..." Cloud had never met Rinoa before, only Zack had, but Squall even mentioning it was a big deal. He didn't want to outright ask the blond, fearing that he'd seem too hopeful—and because it seemed out of place for him to do so.

He valued Cloud and Zack's friendship a lot.

Cloud, knowing what his friend was asking, nodded. "Sure." A weight seemed to lift off Squall's shoulders, but he didn't voice his thanks.

"Ah, Ms. Farron, is it?" Professor Hojo had said as he entered the room. The atmosphere changed completely as the man locked eyes with her—almost as if time halted in that awkward, tense moment. Professor Hojo had dark, greying hair that was always in a low ponytail, mischievous dark eyes, and a smile that made anyone uncomfortable. The term 'creeper' was also a highly accurate description that most often used.

Lightning shifted uncomfortably on the bed as she sat up in a restrained movement. "Professor."

His tone almost resembled a witch cackling whenever he spoke—amused and unnecessarily high and devious. "Are you aware that your father used to work for this company?"

Lightning slowly nodded. "It's one of the reasons why I wanted to become SOLDIER... Professor."

"Commander Farron was a good man," Hojo declared.

Lightning could argue with that, but she opted against it. "Uh-huh…" It was a safe answer.

" _Farron_ …?" Zack asked, recognition flashing in his Mako eyes. He squinted as he processed this. " _The_ Commander Farron? As in First Class _SOLDIER_ , Commander Farron?"

Lightning was giving him a puzzled look as she quietly said, "Yeah—"

"…Holy _shit_ ," Zack whispered to himself, turning to leave. He was crushed at the news. When he made it to the door, he turned around, only to lift his hand, drop it back down, and shake his head. "Sorry I… I have somewhere I need to be…" Some place he needed to be alone with his unforgiving thoughts.

This changed everything.

Cloud looked at his friend's retreating back as the SOLDIER left. "Is he okay?"

Squall also had a baffled expression, for once. " I don't know…" They both wasted no time in rushing after the teen, knowing an episode was underway while Lightning masked the rejection she was feeling by pursing her lips. She just couldn't understand Zack.

Professor Hojo smiled at Paine. "You're dismissed, cadet."

Paine looked reluctant, and she began to fidget under his expecting gaze. "But—"

"That's an order," he snapped.

"Y-Yes, sir." Paine gave Lightning a repentant glance before she slowly exited the room. She had no right to stay—and no position in which she could counter the professor's authority.

The moment she left, Hojo locked the door. "Now then," he told her. "Just relax, and this'll all be over quickly." He was gathering a needle and filling it with a substance from a vial of red liquid.

...


	4. Traumatic

**REVISED! :)  
**

 **Chapter 4: Traumatic**

The next morning, Lightning woke up in her barracks to find someone lying beside her in her bunk.

It was Vanille, who was sleeping with a content, light snore.

 _The hell…?_ Lightning sat up, pushing Vanille off her bunk with a grimace. She hadn't even remembered going back to her room—or anything else for that matter. Everything seemed to be a blur and nothing was making sense. She felt as if she were stuck in some alternate universe where the days continued without any concern for the previous ones—where the days before no longer existed.

The girl shrieked when she collided with the floor, and Lightning glared at her when green eyes peeked over the edge of the bunk. "Mornin'," Vanille squeaked in her mellifluous tone. She was seconds away from having four knuckles bash her skull.

Lightning cut her eyes into thin slits. "Why're you in my bed—and in _my_ room?" The walls of said room were crimson and the floor was grey, with two sets of metal bunk beds on each side of the small area. Lightning occupied the lower left bunk bed.

Vanille shrugged. "Yuna let me in…"

Lightning sighed, rubbing her temples as she pulled her plain sheets over her white night attire, feeling modest. She'd have a talk with Yuna later; nothing worse than a careless roommate.

"You know a 'B' cup isn't bad," Vanille said, eyeing the way Lightning covered herself. "I'm an 'A' on a good day, so no worries."

Lightning couldn't hide the blush that crept on her cheeks. "What do you _want_?!" she asked in a harsh whisper-yell.

Vanille shrugged. "Paine said you were trapped in Hojo's lab last night. I was just checking on you."

"I'm _fine_ ," Lightning grumbled, lying through her teeth. She couldn't remember anything Hojo had done, or said, in that office, especially after he gave her what he'd claimed to be morphine. Sick Bastard.

Vanille's smile faltered slightly, until she forced a grin. "…If you say so!" she chirped, although she seemed fixated on Lightning's exposed skin. Or was she really just staring at Lightning's teenage development again? Either way, Vanille was an oddball. Said oddball stood, only to promptly seat herself on the edge of Lightning's bed. "I thought you were going to end up like that girl who was dismissed. That would've been _awful_!"

Perhaps Lightning had, because for the life of her, she couldn't recall what happened in that room.

"Zack was pretty scary last night, too," Vanille continued, bringing Lightning out of her thoughts. "They gave him two weeks off because of what he did after he left."

Blue eyes met green ones, suspicion lurking in them. The word 'scary' was something that no person would ever put in the same sentence when it came to Zack Fair. "What do you mean?"

"He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Vanille explained. "He had a _really_ nasty episode last night, too—scared everyone. Commander Loire said he deserved a month off, but the president only gave him two weeks."

"I see…" Lightning threw her legs over the side of the bed, grabbing her uniform as she stood to reveal her white tank top and matching boy shorts. She'd head to the showers later, but right now, her main focus was the SOLDIER who'd spontaneously decided to leave her yesterday. She knew her father's name must've triggered something… perhaps he knew how the man died. She wouldn't put it past him if he did, and she suspected that many SOLDIER knew as well.

As she stepped into the dark material of her uniform, Vanille tilted her head. "Are you going to breakfast with me and Fang?" the teen asked. "But Hojo says you're a convalescent until further notice, so you should really be here recovering for the rest of the day. Our instructors have already been notified."

Lightning didn't mind doing the opposite of what Hojo asked at this point. "Where's Paine?"

"She left with your roommate Yuna—and some loud girl named Rikku." Vanille's nose crinkled at the thought of the obnoxious girl.

Lightning almost laughed at the irony, considering Vanille could be quite flamboyant herself. "Maybe for lunch," Lightning clarified, stepping into her combat boots. They were laced together in less than a minute, and she stood, grabbing her training sword as she headed to the door. The only thing that made her stop was when she paused to grab her keycard on the nightstand, and expectancy became visible in her eyes when she glanced over her shoulder at Vanille.

The younger teen sighed, rising to her feet. "I know, I know," Vanille said, pouting. "But you'll miss me, Light."

There was a small morsel of warmth in Lightning's scoff. "You keep telling yourself that."

* * *

It had taken her about twenty minutes, but Lightning's feet carried her to the training rooms, where she inspected each one, noticing that they were all empty. Target not sighted.

 _Where are you Zack?_

Suddenly, her PHS went off and she gazed down at the screen.

From Anonymous:

 _I can't tell you my name but I know something of interest to you. There's a SOLDIER on the training grounds outside, and he's in that secret spot you found during your first day here. You should really go find him before he takes off again._

 _Who the heck…?_ She blinked, perplexed at the random message. "Okay…?"

Although she was keen on finding Zack, she was hesitant to follow the lead of an anonymous sender. Instantly, her PHS beeped again, and she huffed. "What now…?" She checked the message, offended at what she saw.

From Anonymous:

 _I can't tell you my name but I know something of interest to you. There's a SOLDIER on the training grounds outside, and he's in that secret spot you found during your first day here. No, this isn't the same sender from before, so don't think about it. You should really go find him before he takes off again. Move your ass, cadet._

Her jaw dropped, and her blue eyes darted around in search of the intruder who'd been spying on her. There was no one...

Or was there?

 _When I find them, I'll kill them_ , she thought, hurrying outside to prevent another message...

* * *

Roughly thirty minutes later, Lightning's feet had carried her across the long facility, paranoia weighing on her soul as she'd occasionally glance behind her. _Wonder who sent that?_ she asked herself. Maybe it had been a prank. It seemed like a logical explanation.

She heard a loud huff nearby and she startled, halting mid-step. _Zack?_

Lightning ran forward, pushing past the greenery to find the source of the noise. She didn't mind the small welts she received on her arms during the process. She could feel her stamina increasing the further she ran, reminding her of the limit gauge Commander Jecht had told his class about in tactics class as a way of leveling up… when he wasn't drinking, of course. She felt as if her gauge had been lucky enough to land her on three number sevens, earning a Power Surge in order for her to level up her AP, MP, and HP, which wasn't that high to begin with.

Still, it was progress…

Once she'd made it to the last tree, she pushed the thin branches aside, lips parting at what she saw.

The raven haired SOLDIER resided there, head in his hands while he sat on the ground.

Mission Accomplished!

Treasure acquired: a post-traumatic Shinra veteran...

Kudos?

"Z—Lieutenant Fair?" Lightning spoke up.

He didn't bother looking up; already knowing she'd been watching him. "It's best if you leave," he murmured. His voice sounded nothing like it's usual tone. In that instant, Zack's pitch was low and lamenting… almost threatening even.

Lightning took some vigilant steps forward, worried that she'd trigger one of his flashbacks. Zack could her the crunch her boots made the further she approached and he was overtly annoyed by the fact that she wasn't taking his advice and traveling the way she'd came. Unfortunately, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed her presence as she carefully sat down beside him, resting on her knees and lower legs. The proximity at which they were seated wasn't too close, but it wasn't too far apart, either, and she was expectant of a storm.

"Lieutenant—"

"I told you to leave." He sounded murderous, like he might attack her before leaving her battered body somewhere in a ditch.

Lightning swallowed the lump in her throat, keeping her jaw taut and her lips pursed in a bid of bravado. "I… I'm not going anywhere, sir."

Zack slowly lowered his hands and glanced at her, frowning. "You of all people… Why'd it have to be _you_ …?" _Gods this is so screwed up…_

She tilted her head, brow arching. "What about _me_?"

He combed his hand through his hair, scoffing in spite of himself. "Why're you here, Lightning?"

"I wanted to check up on you, sir," she answered truthfully. "After yesterday…"

Zack acknowledged this with a humming sound, propping his forearms on his knees while his gazed drifted up at the sky. "Yeah, everyone's been checking on me." Mako blue eyes softened as he smiled at the beautiful scenery. He loved nature, and this place reminded him of Gongaga, his home. _But Shinra doesn't let you retire, even with a mental illness like mine._ "I'm tired of seeing all those looks," he murmured, face hardening. "That's why I'm out here."

Lightning didn't know what to say.

 _I didn't mean to disobey you, Commander Farron…_ Zack's brows furrowed. "I'm sorry," he murmured to himself.

Lightning gave him an inquisitive gaze. "For what exactly?"

Zack glanced at her, unsure of what she was talking about. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes," Lightning answered. "What are you sorry for, Lieutenant?"

"For…" _For having your dad die protecting me…_ That thought would never be uttered from his lips, not yet, at least. Zack shut his eyes, cringing at the idea of telling her about why her father had been killed in action. "I can't tell you, but I…" He opened his eyes, giving her a serious stare. "You know that day I found you in the hallway?"

"Dripping wet," Lightning reminded him with a curt nod. "Yes."

"Well, yeah… I need you to forget about it." He watched with contrite eyes, observing the way she tried to hide her insulted expression by gazing at anything except him. "Just forget about me entirely. It's better this way."

"Why?"

"It just is, cadet." Back to speaking in proper protocol…

She was too baffled to respond, too confused to lash out at the SOLDIER. _Hadn't he wanted to be my friend earlier?_ The mind of the opposite sex was hard to grasp.

"I'm sorry," Zack spoke up, hoping she'd look his way again. "But it won't end well if..." He shook his head in sluggish movements. "It just won't end well." That was the _first_ time in his life that he'd ever considered rejecting a friendship. His words had hurt both of them more than they allowed it be revealed on their masked expressions.

Lightning eventually cleared her throat, brushing some stray strands behind her ear. It didn't take a genius to see that she'd become uncomfortable. "You're sure?" She hid her sudden discomfort well in that instant, concealing it behind her authoritative, hoarse voice.

In truth, her biggest fear in life had come true: rejection. To be excluded like that, simply because someone didn't want to be near her, it made her feel as if _she_ were the problem. However, Lightning wasn't the liability here. The fault resided in Zack, who had several inner demons to face.

"Positive," Zack answered. He waved his hand to signal that he was dismissing her. "You're nothing but trouble, and no good can come from me being around you, cadet." He hadn't meant to make it appear as if she were to blame, but it had came out that way, all the same, and it sounded worse voicing it aloud than it had in his mind. _Maybe that was a poor choice of words…_

Infuriated. That's how Lightning felt, and she couldn't hide her glower as Zack waited for her to speak. Her nostrils flared while she tried, and failed miserably, to compose herself. _Using your PTSD as an excuse to hide from me…?_ This wouldn't end well.

"Lieutenant Fair?" she spoke up quietly. Her tone was even—not a trace of malice to be found… That _should_ have given Zack an indication to apologize, but like training all puppies, it was trial and error, and one must learn from their mistakes.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Lightning faced him fully, giving him a vindictive smirk before lifting her right hand and punching him square in the jaw. Hell hath no fury like a Farron scorned.

Even though Zack was a SOLDIER, and the punch did minimal damage, he still gave her an awestruck look. His left hand moved lethargically to touch the spot she'd just hit—almost as if he still couldn't believe it just happened. "You…" He moved his lower jaw around. "You _punched_ me!"

"You were acting like a jerk, lieutenant," she said, rising to her feet. She dusted herself off, despite her throbbing knuckles. "And you're using your PTSD as a scapegoat to avoid being friends with—" She shook her head to stop herself from allowing her feelings to control her again. "You're using your PTSD as a scapegoat, so I think the punch was warranted." She arched her right brow, challenging him. "Correct me if I'm wrong."

 _Well, that's a first, for sure…_ Zack blinked, amazed that she had the guts to actually strike him. That infectious smile that she'd become accustomed to returned, and he stood, placing his knuckles on his hip as he leaned down towards her. "Okay." He sounded impressed, but also as if her were humoring her.

No female had _ever_ attacked him before, and although Zack was unfamiliar with the term _masochist_ , he'd enjoyed the hit he received. It brought him back down to earth and out of his guilty state—and more importantly, he felt obligated to tell her now, when he had the courage. If anything, he felt more inclined to get to know the bold female _because_ she'd had the nerve to strike him.

A crush of some sorts had developed, on both ends...

The sad thought lingering in his mind was when he realized that he'd unintentionally began comparing what Lightning did for him, as opposed to what Aerith didn't, during his post-traumatic situations such as these. Aerith would never tell him to snap out of it; she'd never give him some tough love and make him aware that not everything was all about him. Aerith was delicate and sweet, while Lightning was rough and a straight shooter—but still concerned for his wellbeing.

"If I were to hit you back in self defense," Zack spoke up, wanting to lean closer. "People would think I did you wrong. Ya know that?" He let his country accent overpower his voice as he admired her.

Lightning agreed with a small hum of approval, although a serious expression formed on her features the longer the words sunk in. Her brows furrowed, but she said nothing in response.

He rolled his eyes, his smile still intact. "Talk about a double standard…"

"I can take a hit," Lightning stated. "I'm not afraid of you—but just make sure _your_ hit is warranted, like mine was."

"Fair enough, but I'd never hit you like _that_ ," Zack declared, pointing at his cheek. "You'd probably crack your skull again." She had several orbs of material pushed into her cranium yesterday to heal the area… He remembered the incident well, and she had hit her head against the rock at the precise angle in with the point was sharpest.

"What?" she asked now that he had quieted.

He couldn't take his eyes off hers, and the more he tried to force his gaze away, the further infuriated with himself he became. _What am I doing…?_ "Training's different, though. I kind of _have_ to hit you… but thanks for snapping me out of—well, whatever _that_ was."

Lightning crossed her arms. "Guilt maybe?"

 _If only you knew._ Zack scrutinized her briefly, nodding. "Maybe…" As he bent closer to her, he made sure their foreheads were nearly touching, and he narrowed his eyes as if he were searching for something in hers to validate what he was feeling. _Gods, I'd love to get to know… No, if she knew what I did…_ "That makes this situation all the more difficult."

Behind his smile, Lightning saw a sadness invading his eyes. Even though they were a vivid Mako shade, she knew they weren't as bright as they'd been when they first met. He'd lost some spark to them—some life to them—and they he'd many secrets.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to, lieutenant," Lightning confessed to him, glancing away. He was far too close to her, and she hadn't grasped this until that second. Her embarrassment revealed on her face when she began to blush, taking a step back.

Zack almost chuckled at her discomposure, until he straightened up and huffed in spite of himself. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Light—wait, is it okay to call you 'Light?' I have a thing for nicknames." _I think Light suits her better. It definitely makes her blush more…_

Lightning shrugged, pretending to be unfazed. "Sure, lieutenant."

He rolled his eyes again, giving her a small pout. "If we're going to be friends, you've gotta call me 'Zack.'"

"I…" Lightning was frowning. "But I'm not like Cloud. I'm…"

Zack inclined his head to the right, quirking a brow in amusement. " _You're_ …?"

"A _girl_ ," Lightning stated, ashamed at how childish she may have sounded.

"…Uh-huh." Zack's lips twitched in a failed attempt to hide his growing grin, and he took a step forward at the same time she took another step back. _She's embarrassed. It's kind of cute… Gods, what am I saying?!_ His heart belonged to Aerith Gainsborough, or so he'd thought. The first stage of anyone's acceptance was denial.

Zack released a tired sigh as he maneuvered forward, making sure they were standing side by side while Lightning ducked her head. "Hey?" When she refused to look up at him, he playfully bumped his right shoulder against hers. "Trust me, Light. I _know_ you're a girl."

Lightning face palmed. _Of for the love of—_

"I can see why you're embarrassed to call me that, though," he stated. "The female officers around here give you hell because of me." He clicked his teeth with his tongue. " _But_ …"

Lightning lowered her hand, narrowing her eyes as she glanced up at him. " _But_ …?"

"They already think you're one of my favorites," Zack stated. _And you are…_ He shrugged. "It's not gonna go away, either. I've practically branded you as a target—and Cloud."

Lightning stared at him while pressing her lips in a thin line. "Is saying that supposed to make me feel better?"

He patted her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm getting to that. Promise." A loud groan erupted from her, and Lightning began feeling emotionally drained again. The puppy was too much to handle for longer than a minute or two.

Zack let out an overzealous cough to clear his throat as he let of her and casually paced around her in a circle. " _So_ , the best thing you can do is accept it—and by that, I mean accept me and Cloud." He lifted his left fist in the air. "And make sure to kickass along the way!"

She deadpanned before narrowing her eyes. "…Nice pep talk."

"I try." He continued to circle her, unknowingly entranced by her presence, or so he kept telling himself. "You know, I've never seen you smile—like a _real_ smile."

"So?"

"Cloud said you smiled at _him_ ," he stated. There was hidden jealousy, even if Zack hadn't recognized it.

"…And?"

A pout was displayed on his lips as he stepped back in front of her, crossing his arms. "What about me?" A barely noticeable whine lingered in his tone.

Lightning scoffed and mimicked his pose, walking back the way she'd come. "What about you?"

He followed after her like a lost puppy. "Don't _I_ deserve a real smile?"

"You smile enough for the both of us," she retorted, feeling uncomfortable about the expressive facial gesture.

"I bet you smile for Serah all the time."

"She's my little sister."

"So?"

"I love my little sister."

"Oh, I get it! I just have to get you to fall in love with me." He chuckled at the idea. "Easier said than done."

The statement made Lightning trip, and she quickly threw her arms out in front of her to brace her fall. Before she could collide with the earth, a firm, gloved hand grabbed her upper arm—the left one, to be exact… but the clumsy angle, and the rock that Zack had missed noticing when he rushed forward, caused him to lose his footing, too.

The SOLDIER tumbled over her like a boulder, crushing her slender frame. Awkward was an understatement, and Zack was pretty sure that the first step to get a girl to return his feelings was refraining from doing anything that could lead to permanent disablement.

This scenario did not bode well for him...

"Y-you w-weigh a _t-ton_ ," Lightning forced out underneath him. _Get the fuck off…!_ It felt as if her lungs had collapsed, and she'd feel the damage done to her spine by the end of the day.

Zack's breath on her neck as he nervously chuckled caused her to blush. But the position they were in made the embarrassed action deepen into a vibrant shade of red. Of course they'd both be anxious; they were practically spooning.

"In my head," Zack said, moving so that their cheeks were nearly touching. Personal space had been one of his common issues. "I was hoping to be a hero and sweep you off your feet." _Or something like that…_ Well, he'd swept her off her feet, at least—and he may have possibly broken her spine in the process.

Lightning attempted to scoff, rolling her eyes when she noted that she sounded like a dying, hybrid horse-cat monster. " _Mission accomplished_ ," she wheezed out. She was straining to talk, and move her cheek away from Zack's. " _Now get off me_."

Mortified, Zack carefully climbed off her, standing. When he offered her his hand, she declined and staggered to her feet, huffing at the amount of dirt on her uniform—and the time it took her to rise. _Zack Fair, the puppy… the_ nuisance _…_

Zack noticed a large clump of dirt on the crook of her neck area, and he reached forward. "You've got a little—well, a _lot_ of…" He brushed it off, not bothered by her scowl.

"Yeah, I know. You bulldozed me, remember?" Lightning's expression faltered when she saw concern in his eyes. "What is it?"

"Did you get hurt on your neck during the fall?!" He'd have to take her to a medic if she'd fractured anything.

 _Just my back…_ A strawberry-blond eyebrow arched. "No, I'm fine. Why?"

"You've got a huge bruise right there!" he explained, voice rising in alarm. "I'm surprised I didn't notice it before; it looks _really_ painful!" He pulled down the rest of her collar, revealing a purplish spot, swearing. "How'd you get this, Light?!" It hadn't been there yesterday, and there had been nothing in that spot to alert anyone that a bruise was forming.

She'd stopped listening after Zack had mentioned the discoloration, and she quickly touched her neck. Her lips formed a small 'O' shape, but she was at a loss for words. Her neck hadn't made impact during her fall with Zack.

 _Hojo…?_ She gulped, feeling nauseated at the memory from this morning. Did he…?

 _Vanille shrugged. "Paine said you were trapped in Hojo's lab last night. I was just checking on you."_

 _"I'm fine," Lightning grumbled, lying through her teeth. She couldn't remember anything Hojo had done or said in that office, especially after he gave her what he'd claimed to be morphine. Sick Bastard._

 _Vanille's smile faltered a little, until she forced a grin. "…If you say so!" she chirped, although she was fixated on Lightning's exposed skin…_

"No way," Lightning whispered, eyes widening. "She _knew_ …?" _And she didn't say anything?!_

Meanwhile, Zack's eyes began to wander over her slender frame, lifting her sleeve to find another large bruise. "Maybe they're just rashes," he whispered to himself, confused as to why she had so many. He knew the possible bruises she might've received during the fall couldn't have changed to that severity in such a short amount of time.

 _Bruises don't swell to purple and black that fast._ "Maybe you're allergic to something," he murmured. He was set on buying her cream and antibiotics. "How'd you get these?" Zack hadn't factored in the worst-case scenario, though. His mind never strayed to that level whenever it came to Lightning, not since the first day she had arrived. He knew she could take care of herself.

"I…" She stopped herself, pressing her lips in a tight line—although they quivered.

Telling Zack would lead to more problems, like him informing other higher-ups to help her, only to have it backfire and have all of Shinra take Hojo's side. It had already happened to the unknown female cadet that was dismissed and never heard from again.

 _Was I raped?_ She felt sore all over; in places she hadn't thought she could never be unless… Everything was a blur.

 _Had_ it been rape or molestation?

Did it matter, though? Hojo had still wrongfully abused her.

 _I don't want to be 'that girl'…_ No one did.

Lightning didn't know which scenario was the worse to live with: getting violated and remembering every detail, or getting violated and not being able to have any recollection of whether or not the crime took place, but having the marks to show for it.

"Hey, don't cry!" Zack shouted frantically. His palms hovered near her face, wanting to cradle her cheeks.

Lightning smacked his hands away, practically clawing at her fresh tears in her eyes before he could touch them. She hadn't realized she'd allowed herself to cry, and she'd be damned if she'd do it again in front of Zack Fair.

"Light?" Zack carefully wiped a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb, surprised that she hadn't slapped his hand away again. "Tell what's wrong."

 _Nothing you can fix…_

"Light, please talk to me," he begged. " _Please_ …?"

"I'm fine," she said feebly, wishing she were home with Serah. Her sister was the only one who'd ever witnessed her shed so much as a tear… and now Zack had seen her at her most vulnerable. "I just need to forget what I can't remember," she whispered to Zack, wishing he'd understand without having to explain.

He didn't, of course, but he nodded anyway. "Tell me how to help you do that. I'll do anything." He meant every word.

She shrugged, murmuring, "I don't know… but I…" Her eyes glazed over in fright. "I need to blow off some fear."

"You mean 'steam?'"

"That, too."

"…Fight me," Zack suggested, gesturing towards the sword on her belt buckle. "Let's train like I asked you to that day." When she refused to speak, he gave her a sad smile and brushed another tear from her face, watching the droplet fall from his gloved finger. "I don't know why the sudden waterworks, but I'm not gonna quit bothering you until you smile—and I mean a _real_ smile, too." _I don't ever want to see you cry again…_

"What if that never happens, Zack?" It was the first time she used his real name, and that made a wide grin spread on his lips.

"Then you're stuck with me for life, Light." He went to retrieve his buster sword from the far end of the field, picking it up with ease once he approached it.

The light breeze flowed through Lightning's hair as she fought back more tears and waited for Zack to take his stance, hands shaking as she reached for her sword. _So, this is what having no control feels like_ , she thought bitterly. _I must be out of my mind to stay here but…_

 _Dad used to work here…_

Various emotions surged through her brain; all leading back to Shinra, and how her life hadn't been as miserable as she'd thought it'd been when she was taking care of Serah. _Sometimes we don't understand how good we've got it until it's gone…_ That had been the last thing her father said to her over the phone before she promptly hung up.

Across the field, Zack was holding his weapon in front of him, his expression mirroring hers, sullen. _Commander Farron_ , Zack thought. _I promise I won't make the same mistake twice._ He grinned at Lightning. "Ready?"

She smirked back, lifting her combat sword. "Whenever you are, Zack."

 _Whatever happens…_ Zack rushed forward, preparing to attack. _I'll protect what matters; I'll protect her. I'll be her friend, her guardian…_

'Protect what matters,' had been the last thing Commander Farron told him, right before Zack blindly disobeyed the orders given to him.

 _Whatever it takes_ , Lightning decided. _I'm going to help him let go of whatever memory keeps holding him back._ She needed to let go of her own first—starting with Hojo.

 _By the time I'm done with you, Hojo_ , she declared, sprinting forward. _You'll wish you were dead._ Her weapon clashed head-on with Zack's, and she could see torment lingering behind his blue eyes, almost as much as he could _feel_ the same emotion by looking into hers. _By the time I'm done with you, you'll be just another memory…_

 _..._


	5. Mandatory Fun

**REVISED! :)**

 **Mandatory Fun  
**

Nearly shoulder to shoulder and fluidly in step down the streets of Midgar, two comrades walked in pursuit of a local items shop to buy Serah Farron a present. The duo weren't related, although most would suspect so. Their very facial structures were quite similar, from the jawline to the cheekbones, and the spikiness of their hair did little to shun the idea of their kinship. Still, Cloud didn't mind Lightning's company, nor did she his, and when they caught each other's eye, a brief, content smile flashed before the pair stared straight ahead.

"I think it was in this sector," Cloud said, pointing to the street on his left. They rounded it and Lightning began scoping out for something that didn't look… in need of a good polish. The slums were really something, but Cloud assured her that all of the gems to be bought resided in the slums—places SOLDIER and the like of the Shinra corporation would never think to look.

"If you're sure." Lightning trusted his judgment. Of all the people at Shinra, she knew that he was on her side, much like Lulu. There was something holding her back from completely trusting Fang and Vanille. They were pleasant—when they didn't annoy her—but she wasn't entirely sure why she wouldn't allow herself to completely trust them. She also didn't mind Paine, but the girl was usually off with Yuna and Rikku, or sometimes Squall, leaving her with either Cloud and Zack or Fang and Vanille—but never all four at once.

It'd been nearly six months since Lightning had seen her sister last, and her basic training had ended within the fourteen-to-sixteen week requirement shortly after she arrived. She'd been on a few low ranking missions—usually pertaining to patrolling certain areas for low-level monster and scouting areas to report the conditions of the fields—but she'd never experienced enough to make her outshine her peers, and never any combat.

She desperately needed the experience.

What surprised her was that even after the months went by, Lightning was _still_ the talk of negative gossip, along with Cloud, but at least they had each other to cope. She wasn't sure why Fang and Vanille weren't getting the same 'defamation of character' treatment she was in terms of such disreputable speculations, but Squall—and even Lulu had assured her that it was solely because she was the only female sparring with Zack Fair.

 _Serah_ , she thought, smiling. That was the only name to put her at ease.

Earlier that Saturday morning, she'd gotten a surprise PHS call—brief news from Snow explaining that Serah would arrive before the evening came and went. No words were comparable enough to describe how the solace that conversation had given her. And at this precise moment, she strolled beside her closest friend with folded arms, gazing down the grim looking streets with a bit of pity—although there was still a fresh glimmer of excited anxiousness in her eyes. _Serah's coming soon._ She'd thought this at least sixty-eight times by now. "Cloud, this place looks a tad—"

"Bland?" he guessed quietly. His eyes flickered around the area with a bit of an uneasiness to them. "Gloomy? Prone to high crime rates?"

A low hum of approval easily echoed from her throat and she gave him a curt nod. "The steel walls of Shinra look more inviting than this—and that's saying something, considering..." _Hojo's in Shinra…_

"This is the slums," Cloud reminded her. He shrugged as she glanced at him. "Nothing really changes around here…"

"I see…" They paced in silence as some children ran by, playing tag amongst themselves. "Did you grow up here?"

He shook his head, giving her a small smile. "Zack took me out here a few times. I grew up in Nibelheim."

Lightning turned her head to hide her face as she scoffed. "What a backwater name." _Must be from the country..._

"Hey." Cloud playfully bumped his shoulder against hers. "What about you? City girl, right?"

Lightning rolled her eyes, but her smirk was apparent. "If you must know, I'm from Cocoon."

Cloud stopped, mirth shining in eyes.

Oh, she just _knew_ he was picking on her. Her blush proved this. "What?"

"Nibelheim might sound backwater, but _Cocoon_ …" He shook his head, waving the name off as they continued walking. "You _have_ to admit that it sounds—"

"Like a caterpillar's transitioning home?" she guessed, causing them both to chuckle. She truly felt at her best when Cloud was around, probably because he was quiet and good-natured, with a calming vibe about him. Their friendship had truly grown over these past months, and others deemed them as having a strong, sort of sibling-type, relationship. When Lightning had been informed of this by Fang, and she finally comprehended that she felt one-hundred percent comfortable around someone besides her sister, it gave her a sense of hope that perhaps she could let that wall she'd been building for so long crumble around others, too.

Dare to dream.

"I really want you to meet Serah, Cloud." _Zack, too._

 _But he's always off with Aerith..._

Cloud bowed his head in clarification. "I'm looking forward to it." They halted in front of a nearby store some steps later, and he pointed through the window. "This is a place I found last year. It's really old, and even though the items are cheap, they're pretty lasting."

"Cheap and lasting," Lightning said coolly, pushing the grey door open. "Music to the ears of a near destitute cadet." Cloud chuckled lightly as he followed her in, agreeing. Their salary was enough to get by if they lived in the slums, but certainly not enough to afford the luxuries that they were sure the SOLDIER received by default.

Inside, there was a wall dedicated to shelved trinkets and plush toys upon entry, and small perfumes occupied the middle section behind the glass counter. The grey shelving area opposite them had a stacked assortment of small weapons and potions, along with healing accessories for materia slots.

Cloud's eyes immediately landed on a Moogle plush that was sitting lonely on the counter. "Hey Light, does Serah like plushies?"

Lightning followed his gaze, a minor simper forming at the sight. "Yeah," she said, taking a few steps towards it. She picked up the item, just as a middle-aged woman approached the other side of the counter.

"Hello there!" she greeted, bowing her head marginally. Her brown hair fell forward as she did the action and when she righted herself, her dark eyes were filled with eagerness. She wore dull, brown and white clothes, but Lightning didn't hold it against her. This was the slums, after all. "Welcome to Enix Trinkets! Can I help you find something?" She finally noticed Cloud. "Oh! You're back!"

"Hey," Cloud addressed the woman, sounding a bit shy. "How've you been?"

The woman beamed at him. "I'm very well, Cloud. And you?"

"Still trying to make SOLDIER is all," Cloud concluded. "The usual."

"You'll make it," she assured him. "I have faith in you." She turned to Lightning, sizing up the Moogle plush in the girl's hands before her gaze traveled back to Cloud. "You didn't tell me you had a sister. She's lovely."

Lightning blinked before she ducked her head to hide her low snickering. _Even this lady thinks we're siblings…_ As she lifted her head back up, she said, "Thanks."

Blue eyes rolled and Cloud began shaking his head. "She's kidding, but we may as well be." As an afterthought, he said, "Everyone else seems to think so."

Lightning was nodding beside him, placing the plushy in front of the woman. "We'd like to buy this." _Serah will love it..._

The woman took it with a slight nod of her head. "Would you like me to wrap it for you? An attached message maybe?"

Lightning actually offered her a barely there smile. "Please," she answered. "And thanks."

Cloud scrutinized Lightning's demeanor as the shop owner took the item in the back. He noticed the way she looked completely relaxed—not disturbed in the least by her surroundings. "You seem _different_ ," he said. "From before…"

A brow arched and the movement was aimed at the blond. "Before _what_?"

"The day Squall and I found you and Zack sparring on the hidden training grounds," he clarified. "You were crying a lot, but you still kept fighting. Zack said he didn't know what was wrong—and you had so many bruises…" His eyes were flooded with sympathy, wet, but not shedding any tears. "I'm not stupid, Light. I know _something_ happened. Zack might not think the worst case scenario, but I do occasionally."

She turned to face the large display window that revealed the slums, brooding. The inner wall she'd often let crumble slightly around Cloud, she could feel that it was slowly building back up. "That's none of your business," she hissed in a hoarse voice.

"Was it another cadet?" Cloud pressed, stepping towards her. He grabbed her arm in a gentle manner, tugging it just as tenderly to get her attention. "Or someone high ranking?" If they were high ranking, she wouldn't have a case. The issue would never be resolved. She knew from the many rape cases in Shinra since the females had arrived—roughly fifty-five now—that reporting a crime to a higher power, on another higher power, was character assassination, and Shinra wouldn't sacrifice their best to accommodate their low ranks. Even with proof, some girls were dismissed for such accusations, demoted, or simply treated as if _they_ were the problem to cause the situation to occur.

A girl named Rebecca had told Vanille that she was asked a series of questions that made her appear as if she were in the wrong. "Were you drinking around them?" One sip would be enough to blame her. "Were you dressed provocatively?" Of course, the company used clothing as an excuse, as they banned the girls from dressing in revealing clothes on base. Off base was another story, and this particular girl had gotten raped outside of the facility by her own comrades during a night out on the town. "Did you say no?"

Did it truly only count if the person said "no"?

"Light?"

"Will you drop it?" she nearly shouted at him, pulling her arm from his. They both jumped in surprise when the shop owner cleared her throat.

"Is everything alright?" she asked them, placing the newly wrapped package on the counter. _Sibling spat?_

Cloud and Lightning were glaring at each other. "Fine," they both replied in a clipped tone.

"That'll be thirty gil," the woman said warily. She gulped when Lightning placed the funds on the counter, wondering if the duo would try and kill each other. "Who am I making this message out to?"

"To Serah," Lightning answered through gritted teeth. "S-E-R-A-H..."

* * *

"Thank you, Zack," Aerith said with a smile from where she stood in the church. "The flowers sold fast today." Her brown bangs shifted as clasped her hands behind her back to lean forward, and her twisted ponytail moved with the action. Her green eyes peered into his inquisitively, noticing the way his Mako blue ones seemed distant. She knew he wasn't thinking about her, that he could be troubled by Shinra misfortunes. "Is something wrong?"

Zack blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Oh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. I was just thinking…" _Even when you're not here, I'm thinking about you, Light… That makes me an asshole, doesn't it?_

"About Commander Farron?" Aerith asked. There was a hopeful softness that lingered around her tranquil tone, making all ears that listened want to lean further in to hear her better, or perhaps to urge hear to speak more on whatever subject she desired. Aerith could make anyone love her, a trait that Zack couldn't understand. Every loving smile she made, every peaceful action she did, prompted Zack to question why she had that particular charisma. He had the same, although in a different way.

 _Almost like an angel_ , he thought. _She's even wearing white… as cheesy as that sounds._

"Actually," he spoke up, glancing around the empty church. _What to tell her…? Oh!_ "The president's brother-in-law, Mr. Estheim, is coming over today—and he's bringing his son."

"I thought the president had a sister, too," Aerith asked. "Why isn't she coming with them? It's _her_ brother, after all."

Zack grimaced, not wanting to delve too much into the subject. "Let's just say that the president had to choose between saving his son Rufus, or saving his sister Nora, during a trip to Cocoon." Zack was frowning at the memory of the terrorist attack. "One thing led to another, and yeah… That's about it. He chose his son and let his sister die."

Aerith was too stunned to speak, but her hand curled as she brought it up to her chest. _How could any man do that?_ Perhaps she wasn't aware that president was the devil reincarnated. Merciless and as atrocious as his heart.

"The press was ordered not to tell anyone—basically paid off—and all of us who witnessed it..." Zack clicked his teeth with his tongue, shrugging. "He ordered us not to let word get out, but it's a secret that most of the cadets in Shinra know anyway." That had been the first mission that he and Squall went on together. Ah, the rueful memories.

Aerith slowly covered her mouth, shocked at the news. For a moment, no words left her while she tried to process what she'd just heard. _If I had to choose, I'd probably die trying to save both of the people I care about…_ "His nephew and brother-in-law, did they ever forgive him for something like that?"

"…Would _you_?"

Creases formed on her forehead as she gave him a perplexed gaze, searching his eyes for something to make sense. "But… why would the president even keep both of them around if—?"

"Maybe he wants his enemies close to him," Zack stated, a troubled look overpowering his features. "Hey, Aerith?"

"Yes?"

"I… I really want you to meet my friends," he spoke up. He pretended to lightly kick something invisible while scratched his head, seeming a tad bashful. "I mean, everyone's going to be at Shinra today. I thought I could show you off…" In the back of his mind, he wanted to make Lightning jealous, just a little. She spent most of her free time with either Cloud or Squall when she wasn't sparring with him, and frankly, it didn't sit well with him. Of course, Lightning not socializing with him enough had been his own doing with his random spouts of PTSD episodes whenever she was around one day, avoiding her the next, and then pretending like it never happened the day after.

Zack assumed that she was confused by his mood swings—his mixed signals. She'd also stopped punching him, something he used to secretly enjoy, Gaia help him. _This meeting with Aerith could go real right or real wrong..._

The latter seemed indefinite.

"I'd love to," Aerith said, smiling at him.

 _Great._

* * *

The evening didn't come by soon enough, and Cloud and Lightning were talking to Squall, who was standing with them on the black platform. The three of them were waiting on Serah's train to arrive, and the president was further off with some Turks and his son Rufus, waiting for the Esteim's.

Cloud and Lightning were mimicking each other's postures, arms crossed, giving each other quick glances every now and then, and both eye movements barely missed each other during the actions. "...You still mad?" Cloud asked quietly. That was his way of asking if she still had a stick up her ass.

Lightning relaxed her shoulders, hearing the slight tease in his voice. "You still an annoying Chocobo head?" That was her way of saying 'Maybe.'

Cloud chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that'll never change... Are you and Zack still avoiding each other?" What he'd wanted to retort was 'Don't blame me for your lack of relationship with the puppy.'

She turned to him, pursing her lips. "Fair enough." _Fine, I'll back down._ Cloud had won, the first male to ever do so.

His grin said it all: _victory._ "...I think, that _he_ thinks, I like you." Truthfully, their bond was platonic, even Squall detected that.

 _That idiot._ Lightning agreed with a nod. "I think you may be right." She turned to Squall, following his cold gaze, a smirk of her own forming. "You know, if you keep staring at them like that, they're bound to suspect that you hate them."

"Why are the Turks always secretly watching us?" he asked.

Cloud's brows furrowed. "They are?"

Squall bowed, narrowing his eyes. "They've shown up everywhere since…" _The day Lightning was crying on the training grounds with Zack…_ "It's like they know something we don't."

Lightning met eyes with Tseng when he peered over at her, and she began pursing her lips. "They're the president's lapdogs. Of course they share his dirty business." _I wonder if they know about Hojo..._

"Careful, cadet," Sephiroth advised as he fluidly paced by. Although he refrained from smirking, Lightning detected a hint amusement in his reserved tone, but most people were too busy saluting and straightening up their postures to notice. "Their hearing is equivalent to SOLDIER." He paused, glancing over his shoulder, right hand rising slightly as he spoke. "I've assigned the three of you, and Lieutenant Fair, to go on a mission with me in Nibelheim, along with two other cadets." Ignoring the gasps, he concluded, "We leave tomorrow at noon." It seemed the ogling stares of individuals had no effect on him, although Lightning was sure that he must've felt somewhat like an animal under a microscope to have so many people treat him like an object and not an actual person.

The chums nodded. "Sir," they said, all bowing their heads slightly. Lightning gave Cloud a slight nudge with her elbow, eager to see his hometown. He playfully nudged her back while Squall eyed them with a despondent stare. In his mind, he was giving them a quick, amused eye roll. Lightning was also excited to witness Squall's gunblade skills on the field. It was _his_ unit she was going to try out for next week, and tryouts only came around once a year according to the handbook. Squall would be judging her to see if she was up to par after she had taken a few of his classes, along with Seifer.

She was required by code to gain general combat experience first, and this mission was perfect for that.

Calculated, green eyes watched as the train approached from the west, and Sephiroth went to stand beside Tseng. "What game are you all playing against my cadet?"

The general may have been a stern man, but he took pride in knowing that every cadet at Shinra was in some form or another, his comrade, whether he got the privilege of working with them on the field or not. And although Sephiroth wasn't keen on babying his cadets, there was a need to protect each one, especially when it involved a Turk. They were his utmost concern, and a certain form of honor lingered whenever he'd study their habits as he'd roam about the vicinity. If they weren't doing their usual activities, he'd notice, and his roundabout way of checking on them usually involved Zack.

Don't fault the man for not asking them personally.

The puppy knew _everyone_ , and Sephiroth was a bit shy when it came to approaching others, unbeknownst to most, because he rarely revealed it. His superior aura was just for show when off the field most days—nothing like the hero he was portrayed as on the battlegrounds and in the training facilities. Fighting and socializing were two different types of battles, and only Angeal and Genesis knew of his introverted behavior—which most often confused for him not wanting to be bothered... And now, he could only truly confide in Angeal now that Genesis was gone… gone but never forgotten.

 _You gave no reasoning for your desertion those few months ago_ , he mused. It happened the same day the auburn-haired ex-SOLDIER had mentioned to Sephiroth that Zack carried Lightning to the infirmary.

If Tseng was tense about Sephiroth's quiet form of lividness, it wasn't revealed on his face. "We're just watching her."

"Which brings me to the important question of _why_?" Sephiroth asked. "Her father was a SOLDIER, yes, but that gives you no right to brand the girl as a potential threat. If anything, she's a legacy."

Tseng clasped his hands down in front of him, keeping himself as unruffled as the silver-haired officer beside him. "She's more of a liability now."

"Explain," was the curt order.

Tseng chanced a glance at him. "Hojo," was all he uttered before promptly turning away.

That one name alone had been enough to make a barely there sound of surprise escape Sephiroth's lips. The general's jaw became taut, and he touched his chin while gazing ahead, creases above his brows. Perturbed was an understatement to how he looked while he processed this new information. Even _he_ hated Hojo's existence.

The professor was a psychotic.

"...You're certain?" He didn't have to ask what happened; he had a pretty good assumption.

"I've been ordered to report anything about cadet Farron that could harm Shinra's reputation," Tseng said, watching as the train came to a slow halt. They waited on some civilians to walk by, quieting until they were out of earshot.

When they were sure no prying ears could hear them, Sephiroth asked, "Will you actually follow orders?"

Tseng actually offered a slight smile. "No."

Well, that settled it then. They both welcomed the common noises that suddenly surrounded them, a tolerance lingering. It was a rare day in which a SOLDIER could ally himself with a Turk, more particularly Sephiroth and Tseng. But for Lightning's sake, they agreed to keep the president out of the loop of her activities. It seemed that no soul at Shinra trusted a man willing enough to work with Hojo, which made the president an enemy by a default…

The doors to the train opened, and Lightning took an anxious step forward. Blue eyes searched, they observed each passenger patiently for the one that mattered most to them… but after an extensive hunt, Lightning became aware that Serah wasn't among the other civilians.

She hadn't exited the train at all.

Her shoulders slumped, and her brows were knitting. "She's… not here…?"

Beside her, Squall and Cloud gave her an odd look. "You're sure?" they both asked.

Lightning appeared to be confused, wondering if maybe she'd gotten the train schedule wrong. "Platform 3, the six o'clock train," she whispered. "That's what Snow said…" _Where is she?_

Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay; maybe they missed it. I'm sure they'll catch the next one." Squall agreed with a quick nod.

Lightning was glad that her present to Serah was in her barracks, sitting on her bunk instead of in her hands. "Right," she murmured. Disappointment overtook her and her eyes traveled towards the ground, bangs shielding her face to prevent her emotions from being seen.

It was Squall who noticed the slight quiver on Lightning's lips. _Light..._

Not wanting to make a scene, he began to walk away, gesturing for them to follow with his right hand. "Come on. We'll just wait for her inside." If Lightning needed to run to the bathroom and cry, she could at least do it without having a Turk nearby.

As they began to walk, Lightning paused, shaking her head. "But it's not like Serah to just _not_ keep her word…" _Maybe she decided to take a cue from dad…_ He had told them both countless times growing up that he'd be there, and Lightning couldn't count on both hands how many birthdays and holidays he'd missed—how many times she waited at the Cocoon train station under Serah's request for their father to arrive.

 _I don't want this to be like all those times_ , she thought bitterly.

Without much thought, her feet began to move backward, and she did an about face.

"Light?" Cloud said. He lifted his right hand, almost as if he were reaching for her, but it soon lowered as he watched her sprint. If he were in her position, he'd be searching the trains, too.

"Um, miss," the male attendant asked as she ran by. "Do you have a ticket?"

She snubbed him in favor of finding Serah, running up the train steps and entering the dull, brown cart. "Where are you?" Her eyes were flickering around the area wildly—frantically—and when she saw no one in the seats within the area of this cart, she opted to check the other. Her boots were heard squishing as she passed through the dining car and further ahead where the other passengers were placing their things in the baggage areas.

It was after she'd trudged all the way back, near the caboose, that someone's voice stopped her.

"If you're trying to force me off this train," a timid, youthful voice spoke up from one of the green seats. "I'm not getting off without a fight."

Snapping her head to her left, Lightning peered down to see a small boy with silver hair and narrowed blue-green eyes. Although he looked uncertain of where his rage was directed, there was a slight pout when he gazed up at her.

 _…_ _What the hell is this kid talking about?_ Lightning arched her right brow, none too shy about giving the boy the same look her was throwing her way. The idea of having children became number one on her _Don't Even Think About It_ list. "Excuse me?" There was an edge to her voice, and despite knowing that her patience was running thin, the boy didn't bat an eye.

He gestured to her Shinra attire. It was entirely different from his yellow shirt and orange cover-up, along with his dark brown cargo pants and white sneakers. They both wore gloves, though—the only similarity. "Did my uncle send you to drag me off here?"

Lightning almost started to speak, but a tall, brown-haired man with glasses and a navy blue business suit walked over to them.

"Hope, will you _please_ just get off the train?" Bartholomew Estheim asked. He grabbed their red luggage cases off the rack above Hope's seat and placed it on the floor. "Your uncle's waiting for us."

"I don't care," Hope admitted quietly. He peered up from under his lashes, his mouth pursed and his eyes vexed. "I _hate_ him." Lightning could tell by the tone that he meant it.

"He's your _uncle_ ," Bartholomew argued. "And he loves _you_."

"He loves me enough to kill me the first chance he gets," Hope countered. "And the same goes for you. I don't know why you even agreed to come here."

"Mr. Estheim," Tseng said as he approached from the front of the cart. Cissnei followed behind him with Sephiroth and the three of them bowed their heads in greeting. "Good to see you again, sir. I hope you had a pleasant trip."

And groan was all they received from Bartholomew in reply, and he hitched his thumb over his shoulder as he paced by the three employees. "The luggage is there. See if you can get my son off, would you?"

"Of course." Tseng regarded Lightning with a critical gaze upon noticing her. "What are you doing, cadet?" He hadn't noticed her hop on the train due to the many passengers that had exited.

"I was just looking for... someone," Lightning answered, blinking repeatedly as she felt the weighty stares. _That sounded lame..._

Cissnei stepped in front of Hope from where he sat, offering him a smile as she knelt between the two seating areas and took his hands in her own—a bid to cox him. "Hi there."

"Bye there," he said quietly. He wasn't having it, not with the Turks around.

Cissnei retracted her head back, almost as if she'd been slapped, while Lightning ducked her head to hide her smirk. She watched as Cissnei stood and mumbled something to herself, clearly offended by the boy.

Lightning felt eyes on her and snuck a glance at Sephiroth, who lifted both brows at her in a serene, yet highly intrusive, manner. There was a quiet question behind that expression, inquiring if she'd be willing to persuade Hope to get off the train. She assumed their inner dialogue went something like this:

 _Why me, sir?_

 _You're not a Turk, for one. Perfect reason enough, cadet._

She raised her brows in reply to him. _Well, yeah but… why can't_ you _do it, sir?_

He crossed his arms, and the quizzical, calculated expression he gave her wasn't like his others. It was almost as if he were deadpanning, but in his own special way. ... _You realize that I walk around with a six-foot long Masamune, don't you, cadet? Correct me if I'm wrong, but we want to persuade the boy_ off _the train, not have him ask for a one-way ticket home._

She was definitely frowning now. ... _I see your point, sir._

A barely there smirk twitched on his lips. _Thank you, cadet._

 _Whatever... commander._

Lightning haughtily approached Hope and seated herself opposite him on the train cart. She cast a swift glance at Tseng and Cissnei, who were exiting the area immediately while taking Hope's luggage with them. Sephiroth stayed behind, walking further in the back of the cart to stand a short distance away from the duo, but out of Hope's line of vision. He could see the back of the boy's head, and there was perfect view of Lightning's reserved mien.

"I won't get off," Hope warned her. "You can't make me."

 _Please, I could drag your little behind off here right_ now _if I wanted…_ Lightning folded her arms, leaning back against the seat. "Look, kid—"

" _Hope_ ," he corrected. He hated being called a 'kid.' "My name is Hope."

Lightning eyes darted over Hope's head and at Sephiroth, who looked away. She thought she detected some mirth dancing in his eyes during the action, but she wasn't exactly sure. _I come to Shinra to make SOLDIER and I get stuck babysitting... This is a new low._ "Look, _Hope_. I really don't like your uncle anymore than you do, all right?"

Hope's eyes rounded, and he seemed a bit discomfited while he shifted nervously, twirling with his fingers. "R-really?"

"Yes," she stated. She tried her best to stop answering through gritted teeth, but damn was it difficult. Hope actually didn't know what to say to her confession.

She decided it best to change her tone. Gaia knows she was scaring the boy with her symptoms of Resting Bitch Face. "But I work here because I want to become SOLDIER," she continued. "I want to become strong, and if that means working with my enemy in order to do that, then so be it."

A newfound sense of awareness was swarming Hope's eyes as he searched her own, but he wasn't sure what to make of it. "That's… I don't think I'd be strong enough to go through that every day." His stare drifted towards the window, where he saw a man in red conversing with Tseng and Cissnei. "Every time I look at my uncle, I… I just want to kill him, to be honest."

"Why?"

"I don't feel safe knowing he's nearby…" His hands curled into fists. "And I _watched_ him let my mother die. He just... didn't care..."

It was her turn to look unraveled by this news, and she ducked her head so that her uneasiness wouldn't be seen when he glanced at her. _Must've been awful to witness._ She couldn't imagine having to watch Serah die at the hands of another relative, although they had no family left—save for Snow, who declared himself as her brother...

 _Idiot._

"...Why don't we go for another ride?" she suggested softly. It was something she did with Serah and Snow when they were younger, when their father didn't show up at the station. A slight blush crept on Hope's cheeks while Sephiroth took the time to stand and approach the pair. Hope almost startled when he thought the man would object and ruin their plans by dragging him away, but the reassuring way the general's green irises looked at Lightning put both of them at ease.

"Only one more ride, cadet," he advised. "This train is heading through one city after this, and only three stops before it arrives back here. It should be back in Midgar within a few hours."

"Thank you, sir," Lightning said. Although Hope didn't say anything, he looked grateful as he watched the man exit the area.

She reached forward and touched his shoulder. "I'm not here to drag you away. I'm here because you look like you need a break from reality." She knew the expression he wore well. He just needed a breather, a distraction from his personal life. Lightning knew this well; she'd been that same scared child who just wanted an escape so many years ago… but unlike Hope, she never found one. There was no one to hold her hand while she and Snow held both of Serah's, while she struggled to find a balance between school and nursing her sister after each agonizing treatment…

In that moment, she saw a little bit of herself in Hope, and she vowed that she didn't want him to be deprived of the things he wanted most in life, like she had been. She was set on not allowing him to grow up too fast.

Hope sucked in his bottom lips, contemplating his next move. "Okay… thank you."

"You're welcome."

As the train began to move, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Lightning," she said. "Call me Light."

Hope smiled softly, extending his hand. "I'm Hope…" He'd forgotten that he already gave her that bit of information earlier.

She shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Hope." _But where are you, Serah?_ She hadn't been on the train, and neither had Snow. As she released Hope's palm, she pulled out her PHS to call them, only to receive no response when she'd clicked on Serah's number and waited for the dial to stop ringing.

 _Serah…?_

* * *

It took several hours for the train to arrive back at Midgar, but by the time it had, Lightning had fallen asleep. Sometime after Lightning had dozed off, Hope got up and went to sit beside her, snoozing off as well. She didn't mind, knowing that Hope was how she was at his age, in search of a slight mother figure—in search of something that made sense.

In her dreams, she thought of Zack, and how he made everything so confounding. She just didn't understand him, but she'd been timing all of his episodes in correlation with her presence. Squall and Cloud rarely had this issue when Zack was alone with them, from what they'd told her.

She awoke to the sound of a whistle, and the train coming to a slow halt. A tired hand lifted her PHS, seeing no new messages from Serah, but plenty from Cloud, Squall, and even Fang. They were all similar: wondering where she was—if she was all right—when she'd be back...

Blue eyes gazed down at Hope, somewhat of a smile in them. "Hey Hope," she whispered, nudging him slightly. "Hope…?"

He stirred, brows furrowing with a slight twitch to them as he yawned and peeked his eyes open. "Hm?"

"We're here," she said. "You ready to get off the train now?"

Hope instantly became stiff, jerking his head at her swiftly. After much consideration, he gave her a timid nod. "I… I guess so."

It was nightfall; Lightning noticed from the glow of the moon shining into the train windows. "All right; let's go then."

They calmly walked off the contraption, seeing a dark-haired man with shades wearing a red trench coat and dark pants. His left arm was propped up in one sleeve in some sort of a sling type fashion, and he carried a huge sword over his right shoulder. Hope recognized him as the man from before...

Lightning bowed her head immediately. "Commander Auron," she greeted. This was her first time meeting him, and she was intrigued—impressed even. He was practically a legend, just like Tidus' father, Jecht.

Auron regarded her with a nod. "Cadet Farron. I see you've found my kid."

Hope startled as he quickly attached his hand to Lightning's. "W-what?"

"I'm your guardian," he clarified. "Your father requested that you have one while you're here. Do you accept?"

 _Short and to the point,_ Lightning thought in awe. _Total badass._ In truth, she was fan-girling without being aware. Auron was basically a celebrity, just like Sephiroth.

Hope glanced at Lightning, who slowly nodded.

"You may as well," she said, patting his shoulder. She glanced down at her watch, sighing. "Curfew's in a few hours, and still no sign of her…" As she hurried off, Hope spoke up.

"Can we do that again?" he asked. He had a pusillanimous tone lingering in his voice, even if the experience had calmed him somehow.

Lightning paused her steps briefly, offering him a small smile over her shoulder. "Sure." After rushing up the steps, she hurried inside the Shinra building, and she was immediately bombarded with questions from Squall, Cloud, Vanille, Fang and even Paine.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

"Are you okay?!"

"You look tired."

"Zack's been asking for you!" It was this question that made her pause on her way to the elevator.

"Has he?" she asked, sounding coy.

"Yep," Fang said. "He wants you to meet Aerith." The name drop caused everyone to freeze and Cloud face palmed, not wishing to tell Lightning in such a way. She never liked talking about Aerith, even though Zack had never officially declared the girl as his girlfriend. He certainly called her enough, though. And she also knew that whenever Zack avoided her, he was off with that flower girl.

Lightning's eyes narrowed as she chanced a glance at her, feigning like Aerith was a foreign name to her. "Who?"

The shade... it was evident.

Squall caught on to the edge in her voice, and he stepped in front of Fang to block the female's smirk. "She's his... friend," he said cautiously when Lightning's look darkened. "You know the one he's always calling..."

"Oh _her_ ," Lightning said, suddenly finding her fingernails more interesting. "I don't have time. I need to call Serah and see where she is—"

"Well, she's kind of already here!" Vanille exclaimed, clasping her hands to avoid clapping at the idea. She giggled awkwardly, swiftly standing behind Squall so she was out of view from Lightning's death glare. Fang grasped her hand for moral support. "She wanted to surprise you, and she told us not to tell…"

Lightning arched her brow, although she was relieved. _Typical Serah._ "...Where is she?"

"With Aerith and Zack," Paine spoke up. She ducked her head when Lightning targeted her with a look of disdain, but she didn't retreat. Paine could take a hit like the best of 'em.

Lightning tried her best to relax, combing her hand through her hair. _So, she's unknowingly befriended the enemy… Don't worry, Serah; I'll save you._

Mission start.

"Where are they now?" she probed the group.

Vanille peeked around Squall, waving slightly. "Um, the president kind of threw a surprise party for his family so everyone's gathered in the huge commerce room and—wait! Aren't you going to tell us where you've been?!"

"Train ride!" the cadet called over her shoulder.

Lightning was living up to her name, traveling with great speed as she ran through the empty halls in search of the commerce room. She'd only been in there once, but she was sure she remembered the way. _It should be around the corner…_ The music signified truth behind her internal statement.

Her feet carried her towards the sound of the noise, and she nearly tripped when she came to an unexpected, abrupt halt at the entrance of the party. _Well_ , she thought. _This is… different._

It wasn't a party, per say, more like a meet and greet—equipped with food. Everyone was in their uniforms, save for the president and Bartholomew, and Snow, and—

"Serah," Lightning whispered, her anger forgotten as it diminished. Serah was dressed in a white blouse with a pink skirt, some black leggings, and a pair of beige shoes while standing on the vast, grey floor. The yellow lighting gave the dull walls some vibrancy, at least, making it feel less business and more pleasure. Snow was chatting beside Serah in all black, and if Lightning hadn't been so focused on the new girl, she'd have seen the haunted look in Snow's unusual, dead eyes. Instead, she zeroed in on a teenage girl who she assumed to be Aerith.

Ah, Aerith.

Lightning didn't want to outright say, "She looks prettier than me," but the confidence she had before certainly vanished the moment she saw the girl's smile. Even Aerith's _eyes_ were shining while she chatted with Serah, and she could see why Zack was so taken with the flower girl… and not with her. It appeared as if she were the greatest representation of the girl next door that Lightning had ever seen.

Knowing this, Lightning took some sluggish paces back, thinking it best to leave. She didn't have that spark about her that made everyone want to be her friend, like Zack and Aerith—and even Serah—did. She was their opposite, the epitome of a loner…

 _I'm not that friendly_ , she admitted to herself. She was often compared to Serah because of this, so seeing Aerith—a girl who had Serah's persona—chat with her sister felt like a double K.O.

Mission failed.

"Leaving so soon, cadet?" Hojo asked beside her.

The quick turn of her head to the left was enough to make it snap, and she touched the sensitive area as she eyed the professor. She didn't know what to say—how to react—if she should cry…

A hand was placed on the small of her back, before she could decide on either, and that same hand began leading her away to a safe zone known as _the buffet table._ Food could make anyone forget the horrors of Hojo, just for a while.

Lightning observed her rescuer, a slight blush on her cheeks to contrast her annoyed frown. "Reno…?" It was a true 'what the fuck' moment, for _her_ at least.

"That guy gives me the creeps, yo," he murmured with a grimace, sticking his tongue out fro emphasis. "The thought of him in the labs makes me sober." Once they arrived at the table, he grabbed a plate and started piling various pastries onto it, ranging from cookies to cupcakes and strudels. When he'd grabbed a pink frosted cupcake, he licked the frosting off and set the uneaten remains on his plate.

Lightning looked as if she'd been slapped, watching him with suspicion. "Should I say thanks…?" _A Turk just helped me..._

He grunted in acknowledgement. "Nah, I don't care much for that word." He picked up a sugar cookie off the table, nibbled on it, and made an 'ick' sound before placing the offending item back on the tray with the other, spoiling the entire batch. "…He's around here somewhere," Reno spoke up, reaching for a chocolate chip pastry. He was referring to Zack; his smirk validated this. "And between you and me, you've got nothing to be worried about. She's nothing like you."

Lightning sank her head, grabbing a glass of cider, and she lightly swirled the drink around in her hand. Her eyes fixated on the movement. "But she's beautiful," she whispered, although it was more to herself. No one had ever called her 'beautiful' except her father… not even Serah. It just wasn't something that people thought fitting to place in the same category as Lightning Farron.

If she bothered to take the time to look in a mirror, though, she'd see what Zack saw—confidence. That's what made her attractive in her own special way. However, the trait that he loved was gone for tonight, hidden behind fear and afraid to shine due to Aerith's presence.

Reno shrugged. "Ya seen one pretty face, ya seen 'em all, really." He stuffed a pastry in his mouth, practically moaning as he devoured it. _Shit, this is so good. It's like an orgasm in your mouth..._

"Mind if I steal your date?" Zack spoke up behind them.

Reno chuckled, swallowing his dessert. "Ya know, I used her as bait to get your ass over here?"

"Why, for paperwork?" Zack asked, inclining his head.

"Nah, I figured you'd want to explain why the hell you brought Aerith here when you're clearly into Light," Reno retorted, hearing both comrades breath hitch. His eyes were dancing with amusement as he watched the way they both stiffened. "But maybe I'm just imagining things…" Although he was completely serious, he was grinning. He patted Zack's shoulder as he grabbed his full plate, leaving them standing there to ponder over his statements. "See you two lovebirds."

Lightning and Zack ignored each other momentarily, and she awkwardly ducked her head, touching her upper right arm. She was feeling uncomfortable because everything Reno had spoken had been... well, the _truth_.

"... _So_ ," Zack finally spoke up.

" _So_ …" she intoned, never meeting his gaze.

Zack eventually groaned, frustrated by her vulnerability. _If anything, I thought she'd be more ready to kickass…_ "Look, I know bringing Aerith seems a little weird..."

"Is she your girlfriend?" she asked quickly.

Zack had never officially declared Aerith as his girlfriend, so it was up for debate. "I…" He shook his head, sighing. "Please don't do this to me, Light. Not now..."

Her pride returned after hearing that, and she gave him a cross look. "To _you_?" Her knuckle rested on her hip as she narrowed her eyes, using her free hand to point at him. "What about what you're doing to _me_?"

"You're acting like I wanted to intentionally hurt you!" he whisper-yelled, not wanting to cause a scene. _I just wanted to see if she'd be jealous, that's all… That doesn't qualify as… Shit. Yes it does… All right, I screwed up._

Lightning gestured towards Aerith, giving him a 'what the fuck' stare. "Well, you kind of did by bringing your little she-friend along!" she whisper-yelled back.

He pouted at her, resisting the urge to stomp his foot, but Lightning noticed the way his leg had twitched. "Aerith is _not_ a she-friend!" He was pointing at her now. "You take that back!"

"You still haven't called her 'girlfriend,'" she reminded, smirk smug. "And I never take back _anything_ I say, because I mean every word."

"You know what?! —Wait! Why the hell are we whispering?"

"I don't know, Zack. You started it." She gave him a once over, crossing her arms. "Besides, if I talk normally, I might end up shouting at you—or worse, punching you in the face."

He gave her a grave stare, rubbing his chin. "We wouldn't want that," he murmured.

"I can't name any poor bastard that would."

He huffed, pretending to claw at his eyes. "Gods, you're _such_ a headache, Light..."

"Puppy," she retorted simply, fighting the urge to stick her tongue out. He brought out the child in her, the child who grew up too fast…

"Yeah, well, what's Cloud to you then—your Chocobo head?! I heard the rumors…"

And everything was making sense to her now. Jealousy was a strange emotion. _This warrants another punch in the face, Fair._ Her right eye kept twitching from her irritation. "Oh for the love of—Cloud and I aren't into each other like _that,_ you idiot!"

"Then how _are_ you two into each other?!"

"He's just a friend!" she blurted out, causing Angeal to chuckle as he passed by.

"Oh to be young again," the man said to himself. It was so low that only Zack heard.

"An- _geal_!" the spiky haired teen whined in a low voice. His lips moved so fast that Lightning didn't have time to catch what he'd said. After much consideration, and giving Lightning one more accusatory glance, he shook his head. "So… you don't like Cloud?"

She face palmed, lifting her hands as if she'd choke him. "For the love of—"

"I just needed verification," he stated, hands rising in defense. "Don't attack me, please."

She lowered her palms, deadpanning. "Zack, Cloud's like my best friend—"

"Hey! No way! He's _my_ best friend," he retorted, practically pouting. _Thief!_

Lightning sighed, feeling drained again as she touched his shoulder. She gave him a prissy stare. "Then we can share him, Zack. There's plenty of Cloud for the both of us."

"Whoa," Seifer said casually as he approached. "Didn't know you two were so wild. Cheers, freaks." He grabbed a drink and paced off, leaving them both to blush.

The shades of red on their cheeks matched, and Lightning began to slowly pace back and forth. "This is getting us nowhere," she concluded, touching her chin. "And you're impossible."

Zack had gone silent, opting to keep his opinions to himself. He did, however, nod.

"I can't believe you thought…" She snuck a vengeful glance at him, seeing the way he was staring at her. "...Why are you looking at me like _that_?"

 _You know why,_ Zack thought. _Even when she's pissed, she's really something..._ He shrugged, peering away at the crowd in the center of the room. He almost laughed when he saw Rinoa leading Squall towards the center of the dance floor after music began to play. "Listen," he said softly. "I… Aerith and I haven't made anything official, but I'm not the type of guy to string her along…"

"You just want to string _me_ along," Lightning stated, lifting her thumb. "Thanks."

He met her gaze, frowning. "That's _not_ what I meant, Light. I like her, but—damn it. I thought this would be less complicated."

Lightning looked out into the crowd, too, crossing her arms. Hope had arrived and Vanille had gotten in his face, pestering him about his cuteness. "Answer me this: Do you… think there's something there between—well, between…?" _Between us…?_

Zack scrutinized her face for a moment, just watching her and searching her eyes. He folded his arms as well, giving her a grin. "If there wasn't something between us, I wouldn't be feeling this way, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't either."

She had to allow her brain to play catch up for a while to formulate a proper answer to his sweet reply. "...Sephiroth says we're going on a mission tomorrow. We've all been assigned to work together…"

He hummed in acknowledgement, never breaking eye contact.

"So, maybe it's best if we forget whatever this—" Her hand shifted between them. "Is… for the sake of the mission."

"What if I don't want to forget?" he asked innocently.

Before she could speak, Serah hugged her from her left side. "Sis!" she said with excitement, although there was fatigue in her voice. Lightning's gaze remained on Zack's, even after Aerith locked her arm in his.

"Serah," she greeted her sister.

Zack was grinning at her, and it was different from before. There was a twinkle that only she could detect, a secret longing only between them.

"I missed you so much, sis," Serah said, snuggling into her.

Lightning blinked, snapping out her trance long enough to embrace her sister. The hug was tender and grateful, making Lightning's vulnerability shine through. "I missed you too, Serah," she whispered.

Aerith offered Lightning a smile. "I hear your sister's nothing like you," she said, attempting to start up conversation.

 _Damn it_ , Lightning thought. _She's so nice I think I'd feel bad if I actually tried insulting her._

"That's because there's no one like Light," Zack piped up. "She's one of a kind…"

Lightning withdrew from her sister, holding her at arm's length as she inspected her face. "You look pale," she noted. She checked her sister's forehead, the action making Snow's brow furrow as he approached from the far side of the room.

"You all right, Ser?" Lightning asked. Serah's skin felt clammy, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her cheeks were hollow, making her cheek bones stick out, and her skin texture looked dry and dull. It almost looked faded… even her hair appeared to have lost is shine.

"I'm fine," Serah spoke up, sounding strained. She forced a smile. "Really, sis…"

"You don't look fine," Lightning argued. "You look like... _like_..." Her voice cracked on that last syllable, and her hands began trembling in fear. _This can't be happening._

Serah's L'Cie virus had definitely come back.

...

 **A/N:** So, I'm trying to tie in the L'Cie concept with the plot of Crisis Core, having Lightning being the link that keeps them connected. Not all CC events will appear in this, and some characters who are supposed to do one thing will probably end up doing another because I kind of wanted some 'what if it happened this way instead' scenarios from the game. There will be some FF 13 events that take place too, but those are waaaaay later. Can't wait to post the nibelheim mission, too! Really excited for it.

Feel free to leave a review if you'd like. I prefer lengthy ones over short ones but I'll take what I can get :) And thanks for reading this y'all.


	6. Deployed

**REVISED! :)**

 **Chapter 6: Deployed**

 **Nibelheim Mission: Part 1 of 3**

"...She's not required to go on this mission if her mentality isn't stable and prevents her from going," Sephiroth spoke up. The general had his right arm on his desk, and he was turned in his chair to face Zack at a slanted angle. He regarded the younger with a perturbed expression.

Zack remained silent from where he leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes distant. It was a clear indication that his mind delved into matters that didn't pertain to the statements being made in the general's office.

Sephiroth inclined his head, and he was scrutinizing Zack's movement, or lack thereof. It was nonexistent—as if he were frozen in time—a catatonic stupor… He wondered if the SOLDIER had checked out of reality again, but when blue eyes slowly met his green ones, he released an internal sigh of relief, observing the way Zack shook his head.

"She needs the experience," Zack whispered.

A silver brow lifted inquisitively, challenging him. "And I suppose you think allowing her to go on this mission will be noble?"

"But it's what she wants," Zack defended. "I can't…" He straightened up and gave his superior a resolute look. "I _won't_ take away something that she wants." He slowly shook his head. "I'd never do that, not to Light."

"Your pleasure is interfering with your business," Sephiroth remarked, unimpressed. "And do you want her to get hurt? Could you forgive yourself if you witnessed another Farron dying?" He gave the lieutenant a pointed look. "Look at the state you're in now, Zack." It wasn't often that the general used Zack's first name to address him, but hearing it made the lieutenant all the more appreciative. This also meant that he trusted him to a degree, although most of it had to do with Angeal's influence.

Zack closed his eyes, brooding. He stood in his neutral position for a lengthy period of time, thoughts morose, until a firm hand touched his shoulder. The hand belonged to Sephiroth, and he hadn't even heard the man approaching due to his melancholic pondering.

"I'm not telling you this to make you suffer anymore than you already are, Zack," the man stated, lowering his head. He sympathized with him. "I'm telling you this as a friend. We can't mind her on the field when we've a mission to complete. Even a cadet's job is significant, and if she can't perform hers—"

"Even if I tried, I won't be able to talk her out of it." It was a true statement, and he knew Lightning's pride and stubbornness wouldn't allow her to quit at anything she tried. "She's just so…"

"Determined," Sephiroth stated. He folded his arms, regarding the notion with a small nod. "I won't command that she stay here, but I do advise that you talk to her before our departure. Hopefully she'll learn that personal affairs shouldn't mix with business. It's an easy way to commit accidental suicide."

Zack made a 'tch' sound, brushing over his nose with his thumb. "What do I even say? 'Sorry your sister is dying again?'"

"Just tell her you're going to be there for her, Zack." It was a simple enough request, meaningful and respectful.

Zack gave Sephiroth a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "…You're really deep sometimes."

Sephiroth waved his right hand dismissively, pacing back around his desk, but never seating himself. "Blame it on Genesis." Zack looked considerate of his superior's feelings for a moment. _You've lost a lot at Shinra, haven't you?_ Genesis' desertion was a touchy topic that he'd remained quiet about, and one that most hadn't the courage to ask him about.

Zack took a step forward, and his Mako blue eyes traveled towards the abandoned PHS on the desk, unbeknownst that it belonged the Genesis, who'd left it there with final messages just yesterday for his silver-haired friend. "You really miss him, don't you?"

"As you and I would miss Angeal, yes," Sephiroth admitted. His back faced Zack, preventing the teen from seeing the blatant anguish in his eyes. "He and Angeal were my first friends."

Zack's eyes rounded. "Whoa, I can't remember who my first friend was," he confessed, crossing his arms. He talked to everyone far too much to recall his _first_. A first of anything was an important memory to treasure. "Wish I did, though. That'd be something…"

"It's something that I've always cherished myself." Sephiroth turned to face him, spreading his arms as he spoke again. "Angeal is joining us at Nibelheim."

"Really? Why?"

"Because he wants to go…?" Sephiroth's gazed lowered, focusing on his desk. "Truthfully, he wouldn't explain his reasoning." He clasped his hands in front of him, palms pressing against the desk as his hair spilled over his shoulder when he leaned forward. Most who observed his expression wouldn't be able to pinpoint the uneasiness in his demeanor, however, Zack could easily detect it now. _It's not like him to keep secrets…_

"You're… you're worried that Angeal might desert Shinra, too… aren't you?"

Sephiroth chose not to answer.

"Sephiroth…" Zack was frowning as he'd murmured his comrade's name. "Angeal wouldn't do that."

"There's so much you're unaware of," Sephiroth stated. "Information that I can't give you."

Zack inclined his head to the right. "Like what?"

"Be careful, Zack," was all the general answered.

* * *

She preferred to cry alone, glad that her roommates had left earlier that morning, but she knew that she didn't have many tears left to shed. _Get a life_ , she thought to herself. It was a hard feat for her to acquire, especially when she never really had one to begin with—when it always belonged to someone else…

Serah's life had been hers for as long as she could remember, and Lightning didn't know who she truly was—or what her likes and dislikes were. It wasn't a question of finding oneself, knowing that a person was never truly lost. It was a matter of picking through her brain and sorting out the junk—the emotions and traits that she preferred to throw away rather than keep. It would take some time to get to know her true self.

However, little by little, Zack and the rest of her new friends—even if she refused to admit it—were helping her do that.

Yuna took Lightning's quietness as the time to slowly enter the room—after previously standing silently at the doorframe to prevent interfering with Lightning's conversation with Serah earlier. Her eyes—one green and one blue—gazed at the sullen cadet with a new sense of pity and slight hope. Lightning had been so focused on Serah's illness that she didn't even hear Yuna enter, and when she spoke, it was soft, steady, as if she were bracing herself for a storm with no calm in sight. "Light," she spoke up.

Lightning jumped slightly, snapping her head to the right. She saw that Yuna was dressed for field training in her cadet uniform, probably headed to her riffle class soon. Laguna was an instructor for a basic course on shooting that Yuna had been lucky enough to get into—or perhaps it was Tidus' influence? Lightning often suspected that Laguna handled teaching the shooting course better than field combat course due to his leg cramps—and whenever Commander Lulu wasn't nearby with her assets on display.

 _They never reprimand her choice of clothes_ , she thought. Blinking the unfairness away, she mumbled out, "Hi…"

Yuna sat down beside her on the bed, brushing her short, brown hair behind her ears. "…I'm sorry about your sister."

"…Yeah." _Do I say thank you or…?_ Yuna offered her a smile, to which Lightning frowned. She could never understand the optimistic girl, always smiling as if the world was a sane place. It annoyed her as much as Vanille did, but she kept that little secret to herself, knowing Yuna was a caring soul—even if she sometimes sounded like she should be in a hospital bed with a respirator attached. "Why do you smile so much?" _She's like Serah in a way…_ "Even when things go wrong, you smile. Doesn't pretending bother you?"

Yuna gazed straight ahead, her grin faltering slightly. "It's better this way," she said, chancing a glance at her. "You know?"

Sighing, Lightning nodded. "I don't try it." _It's never helped me at all… If anything, it might scare people._

"I wish I could be like you," Yuna admitted softly. "You don't mind blocking people out; I always let them in…"

"Yuna, are you…? Are you seeing Tidus?" Fraternization wasn't allowed, and she could sense a possible scandal brewing. People were starting to talk, so it wouldn't take long for an investigation to occur. Tseng was always one step ahead of everyone.

The question made Yuna's cheeks burn, and she gazed up, deep in thought. "I… He makes me laugh," she spoke up. "…I'd like my journey here to be full of laughter." She met Lightning's eyes with a pleading one of her own. Everything was in that look, hurt, fear, anxiety, _love_... She didn't want to get caught. "What's so wrong with wanting that?"

Lightning's cheeks reddened from the admission, knowing that look well. She wore it herself most days when she thought of…

 _Zack…_

Slowly, Lightning shook her head. "Nothing. There's nothing wrong with it…" Her shoulders rolled as she glanced down at her combat boots. "I think everyone here wants that at some point in their life—someone to look at them like _that_ —to be with them in that way…"

Intimacy… She feared she'd never experience it; she hadn't even had her first kiss yet.

* * *

After Lightning had exited her barracks, she ventured down the hall, glancing at her watch. "I should be heading to the loading deck soon," she mused to herself.

"Light!" Hope called.

She snapped her head up to see Hope running down the hall towards her, and Auron was pacing casually behind. When the silver-haired teen approached, he instantly embraced her in a hug. "Be safe." She needed that hug.

Zack had turned the corner with Tidus mere seconds after Hope had embraced Lightning, and both officers paused, watching Lightning return the sweet gesture.

Zack's expression softened while he watched them conversing, and the way Lightning knelt reminded him of a nurturing mother. In that moment, something in him began comparing the way Aerith handled children to the way Lightning did.

Both girls had a special way about them, but Aerith seemed perfect—a little too perfect. The way Lightning was treating Hope, there was a bit of a rough exterior mixed into the gentle way she went about speaking to him—and he didn't mean her hoarse voice. Her mannerisms, they weren't flawless, but seeing her slight mistakes while she spoke and tried her best to smile gave Zack the impression that she was in fact human—not an android.

 _But_ _I shouldn't compare you two like this_ … he thought. _It's not fair to either of you._

 _You're two different people._

Beside him, Tidus had his arms folded and he wore his black SOLDIER's uniform the same as Zack, an energetic grin of his own spreading on his copper face as he watched the girl. "She's real," he spoke up. It was almost as if he were in slight awe to see this side of her, knowing that if she noticed others watching she wouldn't have done the intimate actions.

Zack's eyes widened at his friend's words, and he cocked his head to the side. "R-real?"

"Zack?"

Zack made a small grunt, urging him to continue while their eyes remained glued on the cadet.

"What you see isn't always what you get with her." Tidus ignored the way Zack snapped his head at him, opting to focus on the touching scene in front of them, like the other passing cadets who saw the odd pair had. "But it's worth the wait to see the little moments like this." He finally tore his gaze away t glance at Zack. "That's why you like her, isn't it? Because her emotions aren't always shown on the surface, like yours—and even Aerith's… Light's your opposite. I've heard they attract."

As Tidus began to laugh, Zack's lips parted.

The blond was quick to give a firm pat on Zack's back before he casually threw his arm around his shoulders, shaking the older out of his surprise. "Hey, man! Yuna taught me how to be deep," he admitted. "Sorry about that!"

Zack's expression became thoughtful while they broke apart. "How are you two anyway?"

"I took her to Lake Macalania a few nights ago," Tidus explained, scratching the back of his head. He had a troubled look in his brown eyes. "She was crying a lot and then one thing led to another and we just…" He quieted, unsure of whether or not he should go into detail about such an emotional moment. Out of respect for her, he kept the rest of their rendezvous to himself. "I love her, Zack." The whisper was genuine.

Zack was grinning now. "I know you do, just… don't tell anyone. I don't wanna see anything happen to you two."

"Same with you and Light," Tidus said, a tease in his voice.

As he walked away, Zack sighed to himself. "Why is it that everything is always so complicated these days?" he asked himself, placing his hands behind his neck.

"Because it just _is_ ," a child stated.

He jumped in shock at the sound of the voice, but he beamed when he saw a dark-skinned boy in red overalls and a hooded green jacket peering up at him. "DAJH!" It'd been a minute since he'd seen his favorite little military brat.

Before the child could reply, Zack had scooped him up and playfully placed him on his shoulders—their usual thing when Sazh wasn't around to do so. The sound of an enthusiastic squeal from the child made everyone in the hall turned this heads, including Lightning and Hope.

 _Zack_ , Lightning thought. His attraction increased among the passing females because of the child he doted on.

Both Shinra employees met eyes during this process, and both slowly started approaching each other, their favorite child in tow. "Who's that pretty girl?" Dajh asked Zack as the older paced. There was innocence in his sweet voice, making Zack want to coo.

Instead, the SOLDIER chuckled, making sure to hold Dajh's lower arms while the boy clutched at his head to keep him from falling off. "That's Light," he explained.

"Light?" Dajh whispered to himself. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Zack scoffed. "I wish—no! Uh, no." He cleared his throat by coughing. "Nope."

"…Why not?"

"Just because," Zack stated, feeling uncomfortable. _Kids asks way too many questions…_

Dajh wasn't buying it. "Because _why…_?"

As Lightning walked forward, Hope was hugging her left side. She had a loose arm wrapped around his shoulders, eyes still focused on Zack.

"You know Zack?" Hope asked.

"Who doesn't?" she asked.

Hope grinned when he heard the sarcasm in her voice. "You like him."

She paused, eyes slitting as she gazed down. "Why is everyone saying that?"

"Saying what?" Zack asked, stopping in front of her.

Dajh waved at Lightning, an adorable beam on his face. "Hi!" It melted the hearts of everyone who'd been staring, even Lightning's.

"Hi there," she murmured, a slight scarlet forming on her skin. She shook his tiny hand when he offered it, wondering how many times Dajh had visited Shinra. It was clear to see that he was a military brat, and that he was fond of the puppy.

"Can we walk to the loading deck together?" Zack asked. "I need to talk to you."

Dajh made an 'Ooh' sound, making Hope stifle a chuckle by covering his mouth.

"Wow," Zack said. He playfully tugged on Dajh's arms, flipping him so that he could place him on the floor. "You two need to go, like _now_." His tone resembled an older sibling trying to get rid of his younger ones.

"But I just got here," Dajh explained with a pout. Hope nodded when the boy took his hand and started swinging it.

Lightning quirked a smirk while the boys gave Zack expectant looks. _Serves you right._ "I don't mind having them around."

Zack gave her a hard look. "You're only saying that to avoid the conversation."

"Damn right."

"Damn?" Dajh said to himself curiously. "What's that mean?"

"Don't say 'Damn,'" Lightning instructed, eyes widening at her slipup. Sazh was going to kill her if he found out.

Dajh tilted his head, making a confused—albeit cute—expression. "But you just said—"

"Do as I say, not as I do," Lightning commanded. "And I said, 'Don't say _damn_.' Understand?"

Dajh paused before he lifted both hands. "No," he admitted.

Hope used his free palm to pat his and Dajh's joined ones. "And on that note, we'll be going." He gave them a casual wave. "Be safe you two."

"Be safe!" Dajh called as Hope led him away. "Where're they going? —Wait, where're _we_ going?" Auron was sighing to himself as he left, not bothering to say goodbye, but behind his large collar, there was a small simper. Whether it was aimed at Dajh and Hope, or Lightning and Zack, had been left up for debate.

"I wonder how much his paycheck is," Zack murmured. As Lightning tried to leave, he said, "Nuh-uh!" His right arm slithered around her waist as she turned to retreat, and he carried her like that—her back to his chest—while he paced towards the loading deck.

Lightning was in a state of shock at this new development. "…H-have you lost your mind?"

"Only because I've been around you," he retorted. That was partially true. The cadets they passed by were whispering, and the more Lightning struggled, the tighter Zack squeezed her waist.

"Lighten up, Light," Zack pleaded. He chuckled at his own pun.

"This is kidnapping," she stated. "You realize this, right?"

"We're both headed to same place, so you've kind of got a moot point—just saying…"

As they passed by Laguna, who was inspecting a broken rifle that one of his cadets from an earlier course had broken, the man did a double take. He made a goofy clicking sound with his tongue and queried, "…Should I ask?"

"Nope," Zack said at the same time Lightning hissed out, "Yes."

Laguna made a low hum in reply. _Zack's not the type to harm people, even with his PTSD... Ah, heck. Lightning's in good hands._ "Okay, have fun kids!"

" _Commander_!" Lightning shouted, horrified. She groaned when Zack yelled, "Thanks! We will!"

"You're an _idiot_ ," she grumbled.

"Who's the real idiot here?" he asked. "The idiot, or the girl who likes said idiot?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Fair," she said in a low, threatening voice.

"I'm so scared," Zack drawled.

Once they'd made it good distance down several halls, Zack placed her feet back on the floor. "Please don't run off. It was hell carrying you—not that you're fat, but you squirm and all…" He pressed his lips together when he saw the look she was giving him. "So… about the trip—"

"I'm going."

He clicked his teeth together, pacing around her in the hall. When his back was facing hers, he said, "Yeah, I know."

She was frowning now. "Then why did you even bother—?"

"I just wanted to make sure," he said simply. "I just…" He sighed. "Light, be careful."

"I know that."

"Don't let Serah's illness have any effect on you when you're in combat."

Lightning crossed her arms. "I _know_ , Zack."

He glanced over his shoulder, noticing that they were both standing the same way. "…How is she?"

Almost timidly, she peered over her own shoulder, feeling her lips quivering. "She's headed back to Cocoon for treatments, and I…" The sound of a sniffle had Zack alert, and he slowly turned around. She was trembling while she hugged herself, shaken up by her sister's misfortune.

"…Light?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't freak out, okay?"

"Why would I—?" Immediately, Zack had given her a hug from behind, spooning her while she stood there, dumbfounded.

"Z-Zack…?"

"If you ever want to talk, I'm here," he whispered, resting his chin on her head. He was much taller in comparison. "I'm right _here_ , Light."

Her hand hesitantly reached up and gripped his left forearm, squeezing it for comfort. "I don't understand this…" It was times like these when she was sure they'd crossed the line. If anyone saw them, they'd be in for a rude awakening.

His head dipped lower so that he could rest it in the crook of her neck. The intent wasn't sexual, but more so comforting. "Right now, I'll be anything you need me to be. And if you just need me to be your friend, I can do that." As she felt his breath on her skin, she leaned back and finally relaxing in his arms. When he mustered up enough courage, he slowly slid his limbs down to her waist, and she covered her arms over his, enjoying the new sensation.

"Just be there," she whispered back. "Be my friend."

Zack nodded, practically nuzzling his face against hers. The action resembled that of a puppy, and he was living up to his nickname. "I can do that."

She closed her eyes. "Good, because I don't have many." He had dozens.

"I still meant what I said, ya know?"

"About what?"

"Making you fall in love with me," was the cheesy confession. She chose to scoff.

Although it would be the perfect time for both of them to steal a kiss, they knew there were more important matters, and kissing each other now would only lead to further distraction from the task at hand: Nibelheim. Because of this, they slowly—and after great reluctance—broke apart, retreating to opposite walls. Zack pressed his forearms against the grey wallpaper, hunching over while he lowered his head. Lightning had opted to do the same on the other wall, feeling a bit of tension in the air as she pressed her palms against the barrier.

 _What is this…?_ she asked herself. She wasn't used to the feeling

"We should head to the loading deck," Zack suggested. She pushed herself off the wall, only to see that he was awkwardly scratching his head and looking everywhere except her general direction.

"A-all right," she spoke up. Friends—just friends. They could do this…

Hopefully.

* * *

The ride inside the jeep was hot and sticky. Lightning was bunched between Squall and Cloud, wishing she had a window seat like each of them. Across from her, Sephiroth had scored another window seat, and next to him was Angeal. Zack was on his mentor's right side, peering out at the trees occasionally while he chatted with Cloud. Lightning wondered if the other two cadets traveling with them had gotten window seats in the other car, but she was thankful she wasn't riding with the Turks like they were. She dreaded their shady presence.

"I'm telling you, Cloud," Zack continued. A wide grin was on his face. "Zidane can steal anything!"

Squall validated the statement with a curt nod.

"But, who's Vivi?" Cloud asked. "You mentioned him before…"

"Well, he's…" Lightning tuned the pair out. She was slightly jealous that Zack had been stealing conversation with Cloud, but she knew it wasn't intentional. Zack and Cloud were best friends, after all. Their banter was natural and she despite how lonely and excluded from the conversation she felt, she allowed it to continue.

"Your father enjoyed the woodlands," Angeal spoke up, sparking conversation with her.

She wasn't sure she wanted to center a topic around her father. "Did he?"

Sephiroth tore his green irises away from the window in favor of observing her. From the way she was tapping her helmet that sat in her lap, he knew she was nervous to be in a cart filled with testosterone. "Yes, and he spoke of you and your sister often."

Angeal grinned. "His description of you was entirely accurate."

"What'd he say?" she asked.

"That you were hotheaded." Angeal chuckled as Lightning found her face burning in discomfort. "But he also mentioned how brave you are. It takes a strong person to endure what you did for your sister."

Lightning's eyes drifted south. "I don't think holding her hand counted as being brave."

"You'd be surprised how many people in your position would've given up," Sephiroth concluded. That was his version of a compliment. He caught sight of something out the window and he turned to Angeal immediately. They began whispering amongst themselves, their lips barely moving. Apparently, their pitches had been so low that neither Zack, nor Squall, tuned in.

Squall was checking his PHS, having been bombarded with messages from Rinoa. There were so many messages that it appeared as if she were having conversation with herself.

It was because of this that Squall sighed and he didn't bother reading through the entire list. Instead, he typed a quick: Okay. That usually summed things up, and the smiling emoticon Rinoa sent back made Lightning stifle a laugh—although it came out as a more of a scoff. "Rinoa's so… _Rinoa_ ," she stated.

Squall made a 'hn' sound in response. He hadn't realized that by replying 'Okay' he'd just signed himself up for an unwanted dinner with her, Laguna, and Ellone. He used his right hand to cover his chin and lips while he processed this. _Shit._

"Something wrong?" Angeal asked.

"I don't need a confidant," Squall retorted dismissively. He suffered from first world problems, and he knew that if Rinoa truly wanted it, though, he'd do it. She had him on a leash, whether he was aware of it or not.

Angeal chortled. "Fair enough, but—"

An unidentified bump in the dirt rode, followed by a loud burst of the tires, made the vehicle skid off to the left side, and the jeep jolted straight into a tree. The sound of a window breaking during the accident was barely recognized by anyone during the commotion. It was from the driver's area in front, which was blocked by a wall that Lightning, Squall and Cloud were seated in front of.

Everyone had been wearing their seatbelts, and for the SOLDIER, the impact did no damage at all. For Lightning and Cloud, the seatbelt that secured them held them in place by ramming into their torsos and their entire upper bodies flung forward before slamming back against their seat. Both of their helmets were rolling on the floor.

"L-light," Cloud forced out through gritted teeth as Angeal reached forward to unbuckle her.

"She'll be fine, spikes," Zack assured, pressing the clicker for the blonde's seatbelt. He swore. "It's jammed."

Angeal was already cutting open Lightning's belt and once he was finished, he handed his pocketknife to Zack. "Here." Zack took it with a quick 'thanks,' while Squall scrutinized their covered stomachs.

"Maybe they need to be checked in case materia is needed," he suggested.

Lightning stiffened when Angeal's hand touched her shoulder. "Cadet, we need to check your abdomen." The cadet suits were stretchy material designed to step in from the top, meaning it had to expose far more of what Lightning wanted in order to see about her bruising stomach.

"There's no way around making this comfortable for you, cadet Farron," Sephiroth warned. He had a look of pity in his eyes. "I say only two of us should look—one to check the wound and one to make sure all the inspector is doing the task needed. Agreed?"

"Wait a minute!" Zack shouted, not realizing how nervous he was sounding. "Can't we just talk about this first—?"

"I'm putting her health above her modesty," Sephiroth explained. "I realize this." Expectant eyes directed at Cloud. "You as well. Peel your clothing off so we can address your abdominal wounds. Don't make me do it for either of you." He tried pushing the door open, using more force once he noticed how jammed it was. "I'm going to go check on the other squadron. Squall, with me."

Angeal was trying his best not to rush Lightning as she hesitantly removed her shoulder pads and pulled her suit down, but he was nervous about the situation, and their driver, who was all but quiet up front. From what he could see of the man's slumped shoulders through the window, he also wasn't moving.

Zack had opted to focus solely on Cloud, healing him swiftly when he noticed the bad bruising to avoid peering over at Lightning's exposed, blue bra—after noticing that she had a decent amount to hide—and took a deep breath. He felt like a pervert for even noticing, but he was glad Angeal was more professional about the situation, keeping his eyes trained on Lightning's stomach as he healed her.

When it was all over, he nodded and said, "You can dress now, cadet. I'm sorry about this."

Lightning appreciated that he hadn't snuck a glance at her and she even more thankful that she could slip her arms through her sleeves. Just as she was about to grab her shoulder pads, Angeal hurried out of the vehicle.

"No," the three of them heard Angeal say. "Not like this…"

Cloud noticed that Zack had stiffened at the words, and the SOLDIER was remaining quiet. He was obviously shaken up.

There was quick dialing from Angeal's end and once the caller picked up he said, "Commander Bowles, is everyone alright on your end?"

"…Define alright, commander?" Reno spoke up.

Angeal made 'tch' sound, surprised and slightly annoyed. "You'd better have a good excuse for answering—"

"The commander got ejected from the jeep after we hit something," Reno explained. "He's unconscious, but Rude says he's alive, and our wheels are busted so looks like we'll all be walking to Nibelheim. Ain't that gonna be fun?"

 _So they ran over something, too…_ "Don't move him," Angeal advised. "Where's Sephiroth?"

"He and Squally boy are seeing about the other two cadets—they literally pissed their pants."

Ignoring the unnecessary information, Angeal asked, "Do you have materia on standby for the commander?"

"Yeah but this kind of wound..." Reno whistled. "It's… he's not SOLDIER, and the wound is like a severe case of head trauma. It's fucking black and blue already. Pretty sure it's still gonna sting like a bitch afterwards… commander," he added as an afterthought. _If he lives…_

While Angeal swore and went to check on his comrade, Zack crept out of the jeep with Cloud and Lightning to inspect the damage. The tires had exploded and front of the jeep was totaled. The driver's head—although out of Lightning's view—had been smashed into the window on the driver's side, and if the three of them had dared to venture for closer inspection, they'd see traces of bloody pink goo oozing out of a wound with large glass shards stabbing through the skull.

Zack immediately took a step back at the image he saw, and when he turned around, Cloud touched his shoulders. "Stay calm, Zack," he spoke up. "Please…"

"Easier said than done," Zack retorted. His breathing was becoming ragged and he felt the need to lie down.

"What happened exactly?" Lightning asked, rubbing her right shoulder while she gazed at the eerie corpse.

"Jugular was sliced mostly," Zack stated. "His head went straight through the window and the shards stabbed into his neck and skull…" He left the sentence to trail, hurrying to a nearby bush, and he gave no warning before he leaned over and violently spewed his breakfast out in large chunks. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with his forearm and groaned, squatting as he clutched both sides of his head. His eyes never focused on the corpse again while he took deep, controlled breaths.

Lightning tried to comfort him by touching his shoulder, to which he shrugged her off. It was like before, he was being hot and cold again. Cloud's reassuring touch on his shoulder made her jealous. Zack didn't shrug him off. Clearly their bond was stronger.

"Well set up camp nearby," Sephiroth stated once he returned. The other two cadets were behind him, along with Squall and Angeal.

Zack gazed at him expectantly. "And Commander Bowles?"

"Dead," Sephiroth stated, lowering his head. His dog tags were in his hand. "Even the materia wouldn't heal this head trauma." _A little Mako would've done him good…_ He left Reno and Rude to bury the man.

"Make sure the campgrounds are not too close to the road but not too far from it, either," Sephiroth explained. "These woods are filled with monster."

"Have you all tried calling headquarters?" Angeal asked the party. "For some reason, I can call anyone here just fine, but headquarters can't be contacted. It's like the signal is being blocked."

"I'll see what I can do, sir," Rude answered.

Sephiroth released a barely there sigh as Rude went about his task. "I wish we could've transported Officer Kyle's body." He was referring to their driver. "And Commander Bowles."

"At least we have their tags, and we gave them proper burials," Angeal reminded. "It's the best we can do right now."

"…Do you think Genesis had something to do with this?" Zack asked.

"I don't know," Angeal informed him. "It could've been anyone…" And he was right, but after checking the road numerous times, there was no evidence of foul play—or even rocks to validate why the crash had happened."

"What if someone from Shinra tampered with the wheels?" Reno asked. "Detonators only go off when the timer runs out."

Calculated, green eyes glanced warily towards the direction of where the deserted jeeps were. "It's possible, but the explosions were too small."

Angeal agreed with a nod.

* * *

Later, at the campsite, when the sun had set, Lightning was having complications. Her monthly cycle had just started and even though she had protection, she felt unnerved. She also knew that she needed some iron in her system because she was already feeling weak.

"There aren't enough emergency tents for everyone since we thought we'd be resting in Nibelheim," Squall instructed, tossing one to Reno and Rude. "So everyone's sharing tonight."

 _For fucks sake…_ Lightning rubbed her temples as one of the unidentified cadets gave her a smug look. He had a strange look in his eye, one that caused Zack to glare at him.

"Cadet Farron!" Zack shouted. He began crossing his arms as he cut his eyes at them.

"Sir?"

"You're sharing a tent with me, cadet." His nostrils were flared. "That's an order." Sephiroth's lips twitched in amusement, but he played his smirk off with a shake of his head. I'll have to keep this off the report once we return home. Cloud actually smiled, humored by the idea.

The two cadets cowered under the patronizing stare Zack had been giving them, and when he directed that same gaze at Lightning, awaiting her sign of respect.

She nodded, feeling dumbfounded. "Y-yes, sir."

The spiky haired SOLDIER had sensed a potential dilemma if she were paired with one of the two men, and he doubted she could put up with Reno or Rude for long. He also thought that it wouldn't look acceptable if she were to share a tent with Squall—with her friend Rinoa's boyfriend, so it was best to place the blond with the loner. Angeal and Sephiroth were probably getting tents of their own—so it only made sense for Zack to share with Lightning, logically speaking, of course.

Reno chuckled and he nudged Rude with his elbow. "Did ya see that? Like a frickin' boss…"

Rude simply pushed up his black specks, but he too was impressed.

When Zack caught a tent pack that Squall had tossed him, he pushed the item into Lightning's hands. "Get to it, cadet." He said nothing else as he glanced back at the other two cadets. "When you two are finished, you'll make Commander Hewley's tent, and the general's. Are we clear?"

"Sir!" both cadets replied, saluting.

She blushed, pacing over to Cloud, who'd already started his task.

"Be careful," Cloud told her, giving the other two cadets a small glower. "And I know you're the only girl here, so if you have to use the bathroom, go with either me, or Squall, or Zack—"

" _Cloud_ —"

"I'm not having you cry like that again," he stated. "I'm not letting _that_ happen again." She knew what he was referring to. Squall and Zack pretended to tune out the conversation from where they were standing, but Cloud's words weighed heavy on them. Neither of them knew why she'd cried that day, but Cloud surely did. The fact that he hadn't told Zack yet had the older teen feeling a little envious.

"You're not going anywhere alone," Cloud said, going into big brother mode. "I mean it, Light."

"Whatever," she grumbled quietly. She'd do as he requested, if only to stop his nagging.

"And you need to talk to someone about what happened," he stated.

She snapped her head at him, giving him an 'are you crazy?' look. "But I don't _know_ what happened."

"Maybe we should ask then?" Cloud suggested. " _They're_ going to be at Nibelheim, Light."

She looked at him like he had two heads, choosing her words wisely. "You really think _they'll_ tell me something like that?"

" _They've_ got nothing to lose. It's not like you saying _they_ told the truth will make everyone at headquarters believe it anyway." He had a valid point. Cloud sighed, giving her a somber gaze. "Truthfully, I think _they'd_ get a kick out of telling you what they did, which is why I think you should ask—as sick as that sounds..." She'd have a guaranteed answer, at least.

Zack was squinting at Squall from where they stood. "Ask _who_ about _what_ now?" he asked, lips barely moving.

"I'm not sure," Squall answered. "I… I don't know who's the 'they' they're referring to…" They were going to follow their friend's movements closely after hearing this, though.

* * *

Once all the tents had been set up, and Reno was stuck on watch duty for the next hour, Lightning and Zack were wide-awake in their tent, the campfire from outside causing the green synthetic to glow around them.

Lightning was in a fetal position on the left side, hoping her pad wouldn't leak out any unwanted signs of her femininity by morning, while Zack was laying with his head propped in his right hand, observing her.

She started to speak, only to have him motion for her to keep quiet by touching his finger to his lips. When he mouthed 'Everyone's still awake' her cheeks reddened and she nodded.

They stayed quite for another twenty minutes, just staring at each other—and occasionally forcing grins—until Zack sat up, bringing his left knee up with him. As he propped his forearm on the hard joint, he listened carefully.

Everyone except Reno, who was on watch duty for forty more minutes, had gone to sleep. Zack seemed satisfied by that and he laid back down, noticing that Lightning was looking fatigued.

"This mission isn't going so well," he whispered. He absently brushed her bangs out of her eyes, feeling the soft texture. He had to do something to keep himself from thinking about the corpse of Cadet Kyle and Commander Bowles.

She offered him a solemn gaze. "…Who tells the families what happened to their loved one in times like these?"

He shrugged. "I dunno really. Who told you about your dad?"

Lightning tensed under his touch and by the time Zack had noticed his slipup, she was giving him a cross look. She didn't understand why she was so upset, knowing that Zack knew everyone but it didn't seem like the puppy to keep something that big from her. "Some random SOLDIER… Kunsel, I think… Did you… Di you know my dad?" He'd never discussed her father before, so she had assumed the answer to be 'no.'

"We all did," Zack said quickly. "He was a first class, a good man…"

Her face softened at that and she nodded. "A good man to Shinra, not his family."

Zack had to bite his tongue to keep from commanding her to not speak ill of his dead friend, and he focused on her strands of hair. "Do you get your hair from your mom?"

She hummed in acknowledgement. "Serah says I look like her, but I don't see it. I think I have more of our father's face."

From what Zack could tell, it seemed as if Lightning thought having any resemblance of the man was terrible, but Zack only saw small, barely there, bits and pieces—plenty of evidence for him to know that she probably took after her mother. The fact that she carried even a bit of his physical traits most likely pissed her off due to her shitty childhood, though.

"Don't worry about something you can't change," he stated. "It gets you nowhere. Trust me."

"And _you'd_ know?"

He thought it over while he yawned. "I would, yeah." The look he gave her was filled with empathy, and she returned it with the same expression.

"Fair enough…"

"…I like this," he admitted. "Us being like this—how we were in the hall…"

 _Me, too…_ She scoffed, turning over, the moment ruined. "Don't get used to it."

"Ah, Light," he whined. "Come on."

"Go to sleep, Zack," she said.

"But we didn't get to talk much."

"Too bad."

Zack sighed. "Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"It is good, isn't it?"

"You're so…" He groaned and rolled over, irritated with the girl. She was hot one minute and cold the next, practically bipolar... but he enjoyed her demented ways, nonetheless.

"Friends," she reminded. "Just friends…"

"Right. Can do." He was lying to himself, but he'd force it because it was something she wanted. Knowing this, he fell asleep with a content grin.

About twenty minutes later, Zack awoke and peered down. He stiffened only slightly when he saw a body nuzzling into his own, and he carefully wrapped his arms around her, gently caressing her upper arm while she placed the lower section over his abdomen in her sleep.

 _Holy crap_ , he thought, eyes wide. _She likes to cuddle… Wait, is she aware that she's doing this?! I should check…. Yeah, I should make sure in case she tries to punch me in the morning._

"…G'night Light," Zack whispered, slightly worried. Lightning simply shifted in her sleep, making Zack chuckle. "You're not even awake right now, but you're still telling me everything I need to know…" When he woke up, he'd probably get punched in the face.

He was prepared; that moment had been worth it.

Outside, minutes after Zack had drifted back to sleep, Reno was sitting on a small boulder, making sure the fire didn't go out while he was on night patrol.

He barely had time to register the sound of a twig snapping before someone cast a sleep spell on him, making him hunch forward and welcome his REM state.

…


	7. Crescendo

**REVISED! :)**

 **Chapter 7: Crescendo**

 **Nibelheim Mission: Part 2 of 3**

"These are Cocoon soldiers," Sephiroth stated. He was standing over three corpses he'd easily gutted, keeping them on their stomachs as to not expose the fresh wounds of their frontals. They hadn't had a chance to defend themselves before he'd awoken and finished the battle before it had even commenced.

Child's play.

Behind him, Reno was rubbing the back of his neck, yawning from the aftereffects of the sleep spell that'd been cast. Angeal, Zack, and Squall were already awake, scoping out the area while Rude agreed to start his shift early for Reno's sake.

"I don't see a point in waking the others," Squall stated.

Rude pushed his shades up with a firm nod, disregarding the fact that it was nightfall and his eye specks would hinder his vision. "Might cause more unwanted stress we don't need." There was already a dark, enervated aura surrounding every soul awake.

Zack was standing near his tent, wanting to be near Lightning while she slept as a sense of contentment. He used the back of his index and middle finger to gently push the tent flap aside and check to see that she was still resting. "Squall's right," he whispered, a small smile at the blissful sight before him. "This mission's already gotten hectic enough with knowing that when we get back, we'll have to notify two families about what happened earlier…" After realizing what he'd just said, his grin morphed into a grim frown. "We've lost some good men…"

Squall crept up towards Zack, following his line of vision while he folded his arms. "I don't think Light and Cloud should continue this mission anymore—or the other two stooges."

"Me, either," Zack agreed. "It's too risky."

"They're liabilities at this point." Squall shifted his weight onto his right foot, propping his knuckle on his hip. "And Lightning's never had a human enemy attack her before. I'll have to grade her performance negatively if she freezes up, and I don't want to do that." _But a grade is a grade…_ If he sent her back to Shinra, he wouldn't have to, but she'd miss out on the experience needed to qualify for the gunblade tryouts this year 'round.

Unfortunately, Zack was required to do the same method of grading for Cloud during this mission. "Yeah…" They both took a few steps away from Lightning and Zack's shared tent, moving to check on their best friend. A calm washed over them after seeing the blond was still asleep inside. They also checked the other tent with the two cadets who'd been assigned with them, and when they heard light snoring, they were sure the duo were asleep.

Nearby, Sephiroth gave a sharp glance at Reno. "You should probably get some rest as well." There was a bit of a pun in his words, one that made Reno bite his tongue from voicing something that would certainly get him into trouble with Tseng. Instead, with an embarrassed sigh, Reno paced to his tent.

Tseng was sure to hear about this later, Gaia help him.

Angeal's expression seemed severely thwarted as he rubbed the left side of his face. "I don't understand why Cocoon soldiers would be anywhere near here." Dalmasca was closer to Midgar (Shinra Headquarters) than Cocoon. In fact, Cocoon was a farther distance to travel than Nibelheim. It made little sense why a unit would be wandering out there.

Sephiroth touched his chin in a fluid gesture, brows furrowing at the potential disloyalty against Shinra. "All the same, Cocoon is allied with Dalmasca—as are we. If our allies are forced to choose, perhaps it won't be in favor of Shinra…" _Not with Vayne still in command…_

"I don't understand," Squall spoke up. "I thought Cocoon was on our side, too."

"By word of mouth, yes," Sephiroth explained. "But they've yet to sign the treaty we've discussed nearly a year ago with Galenth Dysley. Instead, he simply sent Jihl to us when Shinra finally began accepting females among our ranks. She was his second in command, next to General Yaag Rosch—both of whom aren't to be taken lightly. Cocoon is Shinra's biggest threat."

Zack was frowning while he processed this. "So you're saying that Commander Jihl is basically prepared to change sides and ditch us if a war breaks out between us and Cocoon?"

"Precisely."

"But, what about the other females in Shinra from other areas? They can't _all_ be keepsakes ready to switch on us the second we pick a fight with their neighboring countries… can they?"

Angeal lifted his hand up slightly, drawing his index finger and thumb close to each other while the rest curled—as if he were measuring a centimeter. "Minor detail."

Squall asked, "So, it's really _true_ …?" _Lazard was right._ He had warned Squall to be wary of who his female friends were at Shinra, not that he had many.

Both teens watched as Angeal released a long, fatigued sigh. "Only for some of them. Most joined Shinra because we're known as elites. Our SOLDIER program is the only one of it's kind in the world, and we're envied for it."

"But who are the potential double agents?" Squall asked assertively. When Zack gave him a surprised look, he rolled his shoulders. "I need to know in case we end up in a war with other countries, and someone from our side decides that they want out." It was a daunting feeling to know that if Shinra ever went into defense mode, Squall would have to fight some of his friends. He wasn't prepared to fight Paine if it should come to that.

Sephiroth made a small hum of approval. "Garnet, for example. She's the princess of Alexandria. Her mother sent her here, but she also signed a peace treaty, unlike Galenth." He paced a few steps towards the trees, seeing the imprints left behind, belonging to the cocoon soldiers he'd just slain. "I don't doubt Zidane and Beatrix would follow her if she chose to defect, though."

"What about Ashe?" Squall asked. "I heard she's also a princess, but Lazard says that's confidential."

"It is," Sephiroth agreed. "But I'll allow you to know for future reference. Dalamasca is her home, but it's currently in control by Shinra's other treaty signer, Vayne. My guess is that she's come to Shinra in hopes of some type of dethroning for her crown later, or perhaps she's in need of a fresh start. After everything she went through with her late husband, I wouldn't be surprised if it were the latter."

Zack huffed, scratching his head while he gazed at the general. "So, she wouldn't defect if the treaty became void? She'd be on our side."

"Yes," Sephiroth answered without a trace of uncertainty. "It's why the president agreed to have her here. I think he'll use her to his advantage in the future. Vayne is unaware that she's within our ranks—or that she brought a few friends along—but Vayne is easily disposable."

"And Yuna?" Zack asked. "Is she a princess?"

Angeal chortled, brushing his thumb over his nose. "She may as well be. She's the daughter of Lord Braska of Spira, last I checked."

Sephiroth was nodding. "If we attacked any part of her home, she'd surely switch sides. Tidus, Rikku, Lulu and Auron would leave as well, and presumably, Paine from their close friendship. The president isn't foolish enough to attack that country."

Zack whistled, positioning his arms behind his head. "Man, you guys really keep up with all this public relations stuff, huh…?"

Sephiroth made a small wave of dismissal. "Only the ranks who could pose a threat to Shinra in the future," he explained. He barely turned his head before he murmured, "Rude, before we arrive in Nibelheim, we're bound to pass by Dalmasca and their Westersands. Once we arrive in the city, see if you can get a decent signal to contact headquarters."

"Yes, sir," Rude spoke up.

Sephiroth's gaze towards the woods was analyzing, and he felt as if there were eyes watching them, but he saw no one. As he glanced back at Rude, he said, "And if you're successful, tell them we're in need of some helicopters—two of them. One for the mission, and another to take the four cadets home when help arrives." _We should've been given the helicopters in the first place…_ Zack's eyes darted in Sephiroth's direction, and when the general noticed, he simply said, "You said so yourself that they shouldn't be here. We can't babysit them, not when the mission's become so high risked. The conditions have changed, therefore, so should our choice of comrades." Green eyes gazed expectantly at Rude. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the Turk said, going to sit watch by the campfire.

Zack was frowning as Angeal patted his back. "It's going to be fine," his mentor assured him.

The man began gathering the bodies, dragging them further away from the campsite.

Once he was out of sight, Zack kicked at an invisible force, huffing while he paced back and forth in an effort to blow off some anxiety. "Well…" He threw his hands up in defeat. _"Shit_ …" That was all he could say to justify what he assumed to be happening.

Sephiroth's lips quirked into a small, sympathizing smirk. His gaze had still been focused on the woods, and in a low voice, he said, "I'll second that, lieutenant."

Zack made a startled noise, realizing he voiced his thoughts aloud. _At least he's got a sense of humor…_ It was rare of him to show, according to Angeal, and Zack considered it an honor that he bothered with him at all. He knew that if Angeal hadn't mentored him, their relationship would be entirely different—nonexistent even. Trust was a difficult emotion for Sephiroth to give to other people, but if recommended by a friend, particularly Angeal, he'd at least try to attempt some type of bond.

 _And if Cocoon hadn't attacked us, things would be different now…_ Zack thought. _We wouldn't be going through this mess…_

If anyone from Cocoon found out about these corpses, Shinra would become a target.

As Angeal returned, he noticed how jumpy his apprentice appeared—the way his eyes darted between the ground and the sky at a slow speed—resembling a curious puppy that was weighing out his options of what to do next. Angeal, of course, would make the decision for him. "You should get some sleep, too."

"…Cocoon did this on purpose, didn't they?" Zack asked. Both he and Squall looked towards their two superiors for the reply.

Sephiroth hadn't moved from his spot, back facing his comrades. "It would appear so, yes…"

"Uh-huh…" Zack's head ducked in frustration and he swung his arms lightly, occasionally kicking at the air again while he paced. "So?" He turned to Angeal, spreading his arms as he halted. "What do we do about it?"

" _We_ don't do anything," Angeal reminded him. He had poked the teen's forehead as he'd spoken this, giving his apprentice a mindful gaze. "Public relations for this incident are strictly between the President and Galenth now."

Sephiroth agreed, lifting his right hand midway as he spoke, "Interfering further would probably worsen our predicament."

"But, maybe we could—"

Angeal stopped him by squeezing his left shoulder, using his eyes to gesture towards his temporary sleeping arrangements with Lightning. "Get some sleep, pup."

 _No room for argument._ With a huff, Zack went back into his tent, and he carefully lay down beside Lightning. She stirred ever so slightly, but when she felt his touch—the calmly way he brushed some strands out of her eyes—her entire body relaxed.

She looked content as she slept on his right shoulder; that's all he'd ever wanted from her.

 _If only things could stay like this… as peaceful as this…_

Breaking the news for her tomorrow would be heartbreaking, but at least he knew that she would be safer if she were away from any potential scheming among countries…

 _If a war breaks out_ , he thought. _Who do_ we _side with…? Who would_ you _side with, Light?_ The thought of her deserting if war broke out with Cocoon, he couldn't believe it. _She_ wasn't the collateral that Galenth sent to Shinra to avoid an attack on Cocoon; Jihl was…

 _But Serah's in Cocoon, and so is their home… But she wouldn't leave like that,_ he thought. He didn't seem very sure of himself.

Lightning stirred again, her eyes lidded when they finally opened. "Z-Zack?" was her hoarse call.

He nearly chuckled at her tired state, holding her close. "Shh, Light."

"You're holding me," she said, already dosing off again.

"Yeah," he whispered, knowing everyone outside could hear them. "You won't punch me for it in the morning, will you?"

"Probably," she admitted, yawning. The way she snuggled deeper into his chest told him otherwise.

Zack couldn't stop his eyes from rolling, and he brushed gentle strokes on her arm with the back of his gloved fingers. "You sure about that?"

"For some reason I haven't been sure about anything since I met you, Zack," she retorted seriously, closing her eyes.

He grinned and his eyes were dancing in amusement upon hearing the candid statement. "Same…"

* * *

When the morning had come, and the conditions were explained, Lightning found herself arguing with Squall, her grader for the mission.

"But—"

"We're not doing this," Squall stated. He wasn't even sparing her a glance. His eyes remained focused on the cleared campsite.

Lightning was livid, but she wasn't screaming. "Like hell we aren't." She sidestepped him when he tried to brush past her, and she pointed at her chest, nostrils flared. "I deserve to be here."

"Cadet Farron," Squall warned, taking a threatening step towards her. "As your superior, you'll address me as such—on command—on base—and, more importantly, on _this_ mission, even if your role here has shortened its stay. Are we in agreement?"

She knew this dilemma would arise eventually—their positions in Shinra versus their friendship—and what Cloud had told her during their first meeting had been correct: Friendship with a higher ranking employee was going to work against her. She'd have to try everything twice as hard as her peers to get her own rank up because she was friends with Squall and Zack, and she also had to remind herself that out on the field—and when they were among others—Squall and Zack didn't exist. They were known as Lieutenant Leonhart and Lieutenant Fair.

Today, she became fully aware of that difference, and by the brief glimpse of pity that flashed in Squall's blue eyes before they hardened, so had he. It wasn't her place to argue with him, not now, or ever... She was beneath him—all of them, and so were Cloud and the other two cadets. Lightning was lucky she hadn't received any form of punishment by the stony gaze she was receiving.

Grudgingly, she backed down and gritted out, "Yes, sir."

They were almost nose-to-nose now, due to their squabble, and Squall simply scoffed, bumping his right shoulder against her left one as he brushed by. "Once we get to Dalmasca, you're relieved of this mission, cadet. You all are."

The way Lightning touched her right arm and peered down, it made her resemble a child who'd just been reprimanded, and because of this, Reno approached her with cautious steps.

"You know this mission just went haywire real quick," he commented, scratching his chin. "You'll just have to wait another year to be evaluated."

Lightning kept shaking her head, getting lost in her thoughts. "Reno…?"

"Huh?"

Vague blue eyes, speckled with hints of green, drifted over to Zack and Angeal, who were conversing about the journey ahead. "…Never mind."

Reno followed her line of vision, tilting his head while he scrutinized her 'off' expression. "You've got a lot to deal with." He wasn't sure if he was referring to Zack's secret that she had yet to find out, or her sister's illness, or both, really. He lifted his index finger, eyes widening at the thought of something urgent. "Oh yeah! Sorry for not giving you these sooner." He went over to his rucksack and pulled out a small, black package. When he returned he said, "Commander Jihl said that she didn't know if you'd need these or if you already had some, because a lot of the female cadets forget to pack them during missions…"

He was blushing profusely.

It made Lightning uncomfortable. "Forget _what_ exactly…?" She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know the details, though.

"These _things_ … they're uh…" Reno couldn't hide his discomfort. "Shit, just listen..." He began mouthing the words, 'Feminine products and iron pills.' He didn't want to voice the items, knowing conversation like this would cause every SOLDIER's head to turn towards him. He was sparing them both from mortification, and, a little ways off, the two cadets who'd been ogling her the entire mission were blatantly staring. Lightning was glad that she couldn't see their faces under their masks because she didn't want to look them in the eyes. She'd rather put her helmet back on; at least then they couldn't see her blush.

Lightning quickly took the box from Reno, thankful that it wasn't labeled. "Thanks…" She bowed her head. "I… I didn't bring much... _materia_."

 _Heh, nice code word._ Reno shrugged, feeling slightly out of his element. "Eh, right… good thing we've got you covered, huh?" He waved in the direction of Rude. "So yeah. I gotta go… hit the head." That was a common term for 'take a piss'.

"Right," she said in a rush. Lightning's head kept nodding, seeming robotic while she fought against her reddening cheeks. She turned away as he left, using her free hand to rub her temples. "This is so…"

"So, what?" Zack asked, approaching her. Lightning whirled around as if she'd been spooked, fumbling the package in her hand, but the SOLDIER caught it with ease, throwing it up to check its weight. "This is pretty light, _Light_." He snickered at his childish pun, handing it back to her. "Too light for materia…" And he could make out the sound of pills rattling inside.

"Imagine that," she remarked, sounding evasive.

"Let's move out," Sephiroth advised everyone. He had a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

As the group of comrades began grabbing their black duffels, Lightning unzipped hers, throwing the mortifying package inside. When she righted herself and threw the strap over her shoulder, she grabbed her helmet. Before she put it on, she turned to stare at Zack, wishing she hadn't.

He was deliberately grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.

She could feel her brow twitching at the sheer annoyance she felt from the action. "What?"

Zack tilted his head, sizing her up curiously. "You okay?"

"Yes, _sir_ ," she added, just to piss him off. She felt that since her uterus was shedding and mother nature was being a bitch, she may as well give someone else hell for it—a poor reaction, but she meant no lasting harm to come to Zack, who was pouting. _What a puppy_ , she thought.

"You're meaner than usual," he attested. _And her resting bitch face is in full force… Would it be sexist to assume PMS here, or should I just assume the news from Squall is what's making her upset?_

Instead of voicing either of the two questions, he simply patted her shoulder, winking as he went by. "I don't know a thing."

She was fuming, hands curling into fists as she trailed behind him. "Good…"

Squall, having heard the conversation, rolled his eyes and urged Cloud to follow him. _They really need to get it together._

* * *

"It's _so_ hot!" Reno whined. Everyone was tired of his complaining, and after six hours of walking, they finally found themselves traveling under the scorching heat of the Westersand. They'd been walking the sands for less than three hours, and everyone knew the weather, and the enemies there, were nothing to joke about. Sephiroth and Angeal had killed at least seven Wyrm within such a short amount of time, while Zack and Squall took three out together—the same three that Rude advised Reno against attacking and losing energy because of all the extra SOLDIER around.

He also pointed out that one mako reactor mission only required no more than two SOLDIER...

Zack, Squall, Angeal and Sephiroth were in the lead of the traveling party, nearly side by side in that order, pacing as if the heat hadn't affected them, although they _were_ sweating. The perspiration wasn't as profound as the rest of their team, though. Thank the mako for that.

Reno and Rude, on the other hand, were sweating bullets, and both opted to take off their blazers in favor of not dying from all the thick, black, cotton material they were wearing, allowing their white button-ups to be exposed. Besides, Tseng wasn't there to reprimand them, and Sephiroth and Angeal didn't seem to protest once they had.

No sense in getting a heat stroke trying to look fancy.

Cloud was trailing a great distance behind them, a little closer than Lightning, but his steps were just as sluggish. Although he loved hiking—be it in the rain, the winter, or on a bright, sunny day—this particular weather was never part of his usual activities.

Both he and Lightning were getting sunburned on their forearms, but neither was complaining about the severe redness and blisters forming on their fair skin. Their helmets protected their faces from the heat, the only blessing that had been produced from this hellish trip, and if Lightning had voiced her frustrations about the conditions, she knew her feet would give out. She knew she'd pass out from the heat, and that would make her appear weak in front of the men, some of whom she _knew_ were expecting her to fail simply because of her gender.

 _I'll have to keep going._ Lightning was in no mood to be bested; she had to show them her endurance, so she simply shifted the weight of her duffle, and pushed on, gritting her teeth. _Of all the things I could forget, I didn't even_ think _about bringing sunblock…_

Cloud removed his helmet and wiped his face, wincing from the pain of his left forearm while glimpsing at the sun. The winds were picking up, but the breeze wasn't replenishing. No air that contained pellets of sand would be. Each gush felt like a hot fan on a summer day inside a stuffy house with no air conditioner: useless.

Lightning decided to halt once she'd caught up to Cloud, and they both regarded the backs of their commanding officers. She threw her helmet off, puking up her rations from this morning.

Cloud swore at the sudden sight and gave her the rest of his silver canteen, patting her back while she gargled some and spat out the rest of her bile. She was careful not to touch her lips against the bottle when she'd drank from it, not wanting Cloud's canteen to get her vomit on the rim. As she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, she asked, "H-how soon until we r-reach Dalmasca?" Her voice was raspy and drained.

Cloud urged her to actually drink some water with a reprimanding look, one that made her roll her eyes and do as she was told. He knew hers was empty, but she was far too prideful to ask for his. He also took note of the way she remained hunched over. "You okay?"

 _I'm cramping like a bitch._ "Fine," she bit out. Her hand shot to her stomach as she lurched forward, if that was even possible.

Cloud gave her a sympathetic look. "Cramps, huh?"

Her head shot up so fast that Cloud was surprised it didn't snap. "How did…?"

"Just a guess," he stated, shrugging. He carefully noticed that their commanding officers, and best friends, were farther away from them now, and the wind was blocking off their tired voices. "…Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Shoot," she answered, grimacing. "No, don't shoot. It feels like someone already did. Just ask."

He chuckled sadly, nodding. "I was actually going to ask—"

"How it feels?" she guessed. When he nodded, she scoffed and said, "Like some jackass with electrical steel boots came right up to me and kicked me in the stomach and ovaries—but it's different for everyone." When the cramping subsided, she righted herself, handing him back his canteen. After he'd taken it from her, she picked up her helmet. "Some girls don't get it that bad, and some do. It just depends…"

"Must suck," Cloud commented. He had a greater respect for the female population now; that was for sure.

A smirk was tugging at her lips. "You're the first guy to ever ask me something like that, Cloud."

The blond placed his helmet back on to hide his blush. "Yeah, well, I've always been curious. It's not something I was keen on asking my mom growing up."

She almost laughed, until she remembered a few highly important details about their mission. Glancing around, she peered in the direction they'd come. No one was there, not even a mirage of who she assumed _should_ have been following them. "Cloud?"

"Huh?"

"We had twelve members on this mission," she explained, sounding a bit apprehensive. "Four cadets, two Turks, two drivers, two second class SOLDIER and two first…" _But why send us on a mission with so many SOLDIER in the first place?_ She got the feeling that perhaps Shinra already knew the mission would be high risked and she thought herself a fool for not realizing this sooner.

Usually only _one_ SOLDIER was needed for a regular mission, even if she and Cloud were supposed to be getting tested to qualify for their respective departments… something felt amiss.

Cloud was giving her a curious stare. "What's wrong?"

 _Maybe… maybe Shinra_ knew _this was going to happen…?_ "Where are the other two cadets who came with us?"

"Spikes! Light!" Zack called them. The group had stopped several ways ahead, waiting for the duo to catch up. "You two okay?!"

As Sephiroth watched them, he inclined his head, feeling a sudden uneasiness taking over him. He didn't allow himself to show it on his neutral expression, though. "The other two cadets?" he asked everyone as he eyed Cloud and Lightning. "Where are they?"

Reno swore, shaking his head. "I didn't hear any screamin'. Think they passed out along the way?" He was grinning at the thought. Cadets and SOLDIER were never to his liking… but he _was_ fond of Lightning, and sometimes Zack—even if he refused to admit it.

Squall released a barely audible sigh. "We've looked back to check on the four of them every three minutes. And up until now, they were there."

Zack eyed the cautious way that everyone began staring around the desert, and he turned to Angeal, who was standing beside him. "Which means?" They couldn't have had the opportunity—or the stamina—to run off and hide in that brief amount of time, not on this patch of suicidal earth.

Reno whistled, chuckling at the question. "He means it's possible that they just became lunch by whatever it is swimming under these sands; poor bastards." He readied his baton when the ground beneath them quaked slightly. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be dessert."

Sephiroth's left hand was curled into a fist, and he was careful to mask his excruciating guilt behind a neutral stare ahead. He paid the rest of the conversation no mind as he went back with Squall to retrieve Cloud and Lightning.

Reno gave a grunt. "Wow, you all look like a relative died." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Meanwhile, our commander looks like he doesn't give a damn."

Zack's fists were shaking in sudden anger, and nothing would've given him more satisfaction that giving the redhead a well-deserved falcon punch to the face. "Do _you_?" he countered.

Reno shrugged. "Hey, they weren't Turks, so that makes this better. Besides a Turk wouldn't have been taken out like—"

"Every cadet is family," Angeal explained to him. "We may not be close, and we may never even get the opportunity to speak individually to every cadet who joins, but _anyone_ who joins our ranks is honorary family... To see any member fall is tragic." His words silenced Reno's cockiness and the group quieted. As Angeal glanced at Sephiroth's retreating back, he knew the silver-haired general was blaming himself. "What you said before, if it were a Turk, you'd be highly upset, Reno."

Reno gave the man a guarded gaze, crossing his arms. "Yeah. I get it… commander." He'd said it with a disinterested bite, and Zack knew that the heat was probably what brought about his defiance to the entire situation.

 _Angeal looks like he wants to break his neck_ , Zack thought. Rude just seemed indifferent. He should've gone with Squall and Sephiroth.

"Everyone deals with death differently," Angeal continued softly. The words were meant for his best friend to hear them, and when he saw the slight drag in Sephiroth's stride before it picked back up, he knew his words had been heard. "We all mourn on our own time, not when it's convenient for others to see, and right now, we're on a mission."

Reno sank his head like a child who'd been scolded, but he was sheepishly smirking nonetheless. "…Sorry, commander. I… I can be a real ass sometimes."

"You can," Rude agreed—to which everyone gave a light chuckle.

When the tension returned, Zack watched Sephiroth hand Cloud his canteen, a faint smile at the sight of Cloud's flushed face. _I bet Cloud's freaking out that his hero is talking so directly to him._ He also saw that Squall was speaking with Lightning, and the four of them were slowly making their way back towards the rest of the party. "The mission shouldn't be this high ranking," he stated, turning to Angeal. "I thought this was going to be a field test for the cadets and checking on the Mako reactor but this is… Angeal, why is this happening?"

"If I knew the answer to that," the elder stated. "I certainly wouldn't have recommended _this_ squad for the mission." He felt odd for even being there himself, as if he shouldn't have been going…

 _Four loses in two days?_ Sephiroth thought as they finally caught up to the party. It was simply unfathomable that he'd allow this to happen—even if the first two lives lost were by a freak accident—and he immediately held himself accountable. At least the corpses of the cadets were nowhere to be found and he didn't have to look at them. Gaia knows how many times he'd seen one of those—how many times he'd have a nightmare about an old face he'd seen die on the field…

"Are we almost there?" Zack asked as the general approached. He winced when he saw the sunburn on Cloud and Lightning's forearms, but he didn't voice the harsh looking pink he saw. Reno's face had gotten pretty pink, too, unbeknownst to the redhead.

"Doubtful," Sephiroth stated. "Although..." The party gave him a inquisitive glance as he paused and peered up towards the sky.

"Commander?" Zack asked. "You all right?"

"I think we'll get a ride the rest of the way," Sephiroth stated. He sounded sure of himself, and a bit annoyed.

Angeal, however, was grinning. "I think you're right."

Zack and Squall finally picked up on what their commanding officers were hearing while Cloud and Lightning both shared a brief look of bewilderment.

Reno eyes rounded when his eyes targeted a peculiar hovercraft in the distance. "Holy shit! Is that… machina?"

Rude made a grunt of agreement.

"Never seen machina before," Reno replied. He was eager to see it up close.

Sephiroth took a few steps ahead of the party, recognizing the excavation logo. He seemed a tad unimpressed as everyone gazed up at the green machina in astonishment.

"Do we attack when they land or what?" Reno asked his commanding officers. The rest of the group looked to Sephiroth for reply, and he simply waved the notion off in an impartial movement.

"No, it's just Gippal," he assured them. "He means us no harm."

"Who's Gippal?" Zack asked, brows rising slightly.

Angeal's eyes were containing glimmers of excitement. "An excavation specialist. He's usually excavating the Bikanel Desert in Spira."

"Why's he here then?" the puppy asked.

"Probably doing what he does best," Sephiroth stated. "Digging."

Squall caught on to the barely there hint of aggravation in Sephiroth's tone as the aircraft lowered, and a slight glimpse of it on his expression before it vanished. "You two don't get along."

"Quite the opposite," he explained.

Squall's head tilted. _What…?_

When the machina landed, everyone braced themselves from the gust of wind it produced, and when the entrance door slowly lifted, the floor protruded out slowly to make a slanted drawbridge.

Gippal wasn't what Lightning had been expecting—and it had nothing to do with his black eye patch. He was dressed in a lavender shirt and royal purple slacks. He had 'X' shaped overalls that were yellow in color and they were attached to the dark layers around his pants. His shoes were crimson with black stripes and it matched his dangling shoulder gauntlets while his dark gloves were fingerless, completing his attire.

 _Wow_ , she thought. Admittedly, he reminded her of a suave royal jester who'd collided with a pirate. Even the way he paced down the drawbridge seemed to have a bit of a theatrical, urbane, albeit nonchalant, showing.

"Well, well, _well_ ," Gippal said in a cocky voice. "Angeal, Sephiroth, long time no see."

Lightning watched as Angeal gave him a quick man-shake, but when Gippal turned to Sephiroth, the blond-haired specialist simply grinned, knowing the man cherished his personal space. "Hey there."

Sephiroth actually crossed his arms, inclining his head. "Of all the places I thought we'd meet again, this was never one of them."

"You still mad about what I did two years ago?" Gippal asked, placing his hands behind his head. _Geez, one accidental summon slip-up and suddenly you're a lightning abuser..._ Sephiroth fought Ixion that day inside the Djose Temple, the same place Angeal personally recruited Paine some time after, when Shinra began recruiting women.

Zack blinked. "What's he talking about?" he asked Angeal, who ruffled his hair.

"Quiet, puppy," he ordered. Beside him, Squall turned his head to prevent the dejected pup from noticing his rare grin. As Gippal and Sephiroth began to walk up the drawbridge, everyone else followed.

"I'd prefer not to bring it up," Sephiroth commanded. He hated the mention of the crusades, and although his words sounded scathing, Gippal appeared to be unfazed.

"I got'cha," Gippal stated, turning around as he paced down the gray hall. "How's Genesis?"

"Deserted," were the two SOLDIER's clipped replies. Gippal winced from the news, but Sephiroth ignored the gesture, not wanting to delve further into the grim conversation.

Sensing this, Angeal asked, "How're your folks?"

"Dead," was the nonchalant reply. It was enough to make Sephiroth snap his head towards him. "Looks like we've all lost someone we care about, huh?"

"My condolences…" Sephiroth said at the same time and Angeal murmured, "I'm truly sorry for your loss."

Gippal ignored the sentiments with a scoff, scratching his chin. "So, what brings you all aboard my vessel today, hm?"

"We're headed to Dalmasca so we can contact headquarters," Angeal informed him, pointing at Cloud and Lightning. "Our equipment hasn't been responding too well out here and we need to get our cadets home so we can finish our mission." Reno made an 'eh-hem' sound to get the SOLDIER's attention, causing Angeal to shake his head in amusement. " _And_ our two Turks," the SOLDIER finished, humoring him. The redhead gave him a grin of approval at being acknowledged, to which Rude fought the urge to face palm.

"Uh-huh…" Gippal paused his strides, eyeing the party with interest. After a moment, he waved his gloved hand as he turned and started to walk away. "You know, I could just take you all to Nibelheim. It's a longer distance away than Shinra, and you all have a job to finish. You can do that quicker if you're actually there to—ya know? Start."

 _Smart ass_ , Lightning thought, but Gippal was right. It'd take the rest of the party longer if they took them home first…

"Would it be a bother?" Angeal asked.

Gippal shrugged. "I owe you one, right?" _I can excavate the Westersand after I drop them off._ It'd only take a few hours to arrive by his contraption.

"You do," Sephiroth agreed, breaking him from his thoughts.

"How good is your radio signal on this thing?" Reno asked. Cloud and Lightning felt a little awkward from being excluded from the conversation as they walked behind everyone, but they knew it wasn't their place to speak so freely to a friend of their commanding officers. It was unbecoming of them...

Gippal rounded a corner. "There's some static, but it gets the job done. I'm sure your little gizmos work fine in the air, if that's what you're asking." He twirled his finger, turning to eye them. "The frequency is always better in the air." There was a cocky smirk on his lips.

Sephiroth pulled out his PHS, impressed at the bars he saw. _He's right…_ "Rude?"

"Right," the man replied, pulling out his own device to contact headquarters. Everyone quieted as Gippal led them to the sleeping quarters, and there were plenty of red bunks to spare in the large, grey room. Rude waited towards the door of the facility once they had, murmuring nearby while he spoke to Tseng.

"The mess hall is right down that corridor, but the bathroom's in here..." Gippal whistled when Lightning took her helmet off, taking note of her flustered, worn-out features. "…A girl?" he asked. "There's a _girl_ on my ship?" _That's a first in a week._

Lightning glared at him. "This isn't a pirate ship," she stated sarcastically, with a bit of bite. There was no need to treat her like a female presence who could curse their voyage.

Cloud reprimanded her with a frown as he removed his helmet. "Light."

"It's the truth," she retorted haughtily.

Squall gave her a scolding stare. "Cadet Farron." Zack knew if Gippal weren't the captain of this contraption, he'd be a dead man. Lightning left no prisoners.

Gippal lifted his hand to dismiss Squall's displeasure. "No, she's right. Besides, _I'm_ not cool enough to own a pirate ship like Balthier's." He scratched the back of his neck, almost frowning at the statement. "But I heard he's up and joined Shinra out of the blue…" The blond gave Sephiroth an accusing glance upon saying those words before he turned to Lightning. "Still mad, princess?"

He chuckled at the glower she was giving him, and his eyes danced with amusement. "Look, what I said before about you being aboard, that's not really what I meant, but hey—" He spread his arm, shrugging his shoulders. "Take it how you see fit." He turned to Sephiroth. "She's lovely." He meant it, although the teasing way he'd said it gave them the impression that he was joking.

Sephiroth fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Will you spare us some necessities?" He didn't want to wander the many shops in Dalmasca just to get some fresh water.

Gippal's focus remained on Lightning, and he pressed his right foot against his left leg, balancing himself on one limb. "Sure. Whatever you need, friend." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "That little redhead in the damp suit already beat ya to the mess hall, though." Indeed, Reno had left in search of the tantalizing aroma seeping from the corridor.

Sephiroth turned to his two cadets, pacing up to them. He cast a quick cure spell on their sun burnt areas and he nodded in approval once he was finished. "You're free to go eat if you'd like."

Cloud looked amazed that the man was even talking to him again. "Y-you didn't use materia, sir," he murmured. _He doesn't even have a bracer… but why…?_

Sephiroth ignored the statement in favor of placing a hand on his shoulder. "You should eat, cadet." Composed eyes gazed at Lightning. "Both of you."

"Sir," the both answered in reply.

As Gippal watched them leave, he whistled. "She's pretty hot. Could get used to having her around."

To which Zack quickly replied, "She's taken. So, let's not?"

Squall cast his friend a sympathetic look. _You two..._

Gippal casually shrugged, immune to the puppy eyes boring into his. "Then I'll admit I'm pretty jealous…" _Light huh…?_ "Is Light short for Lightning?"

"Does it matter?" Zack asked, sounding a bit aggravated with the teen.

"Hey now." Gippal approached him and slung his arm around the younger teen's shoulders, pulling Zack close while he gave him a gentle shake. "Calm down, eh… what's your name again? Puppy right?"

" _Zack_ ," the younger replied.

Gippal glanced at Angeal. "Cute kid."

"Hey! You're not much older than I am!"

The blond was rubbing his temples now, having released the pup from his grasps. "You two both take things the wrong way," he mused. "...Look, I asked about Light's name because a friend of mine wrote me a letter about a friend she'd made a while back. Says her name was Lightning and she's got a hell of a falcon punch."

"O-oh," Zack murmured. "Yeah, she does."

Squall sighed at the banter, heading towards the mess hall. He clearly wasn't in the mood for any of it, and Sephiroth could only look on with a bored expression.

Angeal, however, gestured his head for Zack to follow after him. "Go on, pup."

The teen frowned. "But An- _geal_!"

"That's an order." End of conversation.

With a dramatic sigh, Zack left the trio and headed after his friends.

"So he gets the chickadee, huh?" he heard Gippal ask, much to his dismay. "I guess I can see it happening. They're polar opposites from what I just saw."

Angeal grunted in agreement. "They've got a lot of drama."

Gippal scoffed. "I can tell. She's not giving him any, is she?"

Rude coughed to clear his throat, approaching the two SOLDIER. "Commander Sephiroth?"

Green eyes were strikingly inquisitive by the way Rude had spoken those words. _He seems unsure about the call..._ "Yes, Rude?"

"Tseng says the president requested that the _everyone_ in our party continue the mission," he stated. "He said _all_ of us are needed."

In his mind, Sephiroth swore. Clearly the president was scheming. "Did he explain why?"

"No, sir. Hojo will explain later," Rude explained. "He's doing some research in his lab there."

As Rude paced towards the mess hall, Angeal and Sephiroth gave each other a guarded gaze. Gippal simply eyed them casually, placing his palms behind his head while he gazed at them.

"Bnupmas?" the blond asked, knowing that Rude could probably hear them. He knew the Turk had no knowledge of Al Bhed, though, and if he did, one of the SOLDIER would've advised him to stop speaking. Sephiroth and Angeal, on the other hand, were well versed.

"Ed fuimt ybbayn cu," Sephiroth replied softly. "Angeal, Dra dfu lytadc fa mucd. E tuh'd drehg drao'na dnimo tayt."

"Oui tuh'd?" Angeal asked.

"Hu." Sephiroth arched his index finger, placing it under his chin as he thought. "E drehg…"

"Genesis?" Angeal guessed when he knew Rude was out of earshot.

The name made Gippal part his lips and drop his arms at his sides. "Oh, come _on_! You don't really think he'd do something like that to our cadets... do you?!"

"He would," Sephiroth stated. _They're probably with him right now…_ They were better off dead than traveling with Genesis.

Gippal sighed, shaking his head in sudden discomfort. "Syh, dymg ypuid vilgat ib."

…

 **Al Bhed Translation from the first sentence to the last:**

Gippal: Problem?

Sephiroth: It would appear so. Angeal, the two cadets we lost… I don't think they're really dead.

Angel: You don't?

Sephiroth: No. I think...

Angeal: Genesis?

Gippal (last line of chapter): Man, talk about fucked up.


End file.
